


A Most Magical Creature

by ravensnwritingdesks



Series: A Most Magical Creature Series [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Caring, Cooking, Courtship, Dancing, Dates, Diagon Alley, Dougal too, Emotions, Evading the Law, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Hogwarts, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Letters, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Meeting the Parents, My First Smut, New Year's Kiss, Pining, Protective!Newt, Queenie loves to meddle, Serious Talks, Sisterly Talks, Slow Burn, So much insecurity!, Talk about war, Tina is still our career girl, Travelling Newt, Wedding Night, Wedding Night Smut, Weddings, Younger versions of old characters, newt's scars, newtina, since this is like 70 years before HP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-07 10:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 162,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensnwritingdesks/pseuds/ravensnwritingdesks
Summary: It had been a long and trying few days for Newt Scamander and nothing had gone according to plan, absolutely nothing. All he had wanted in New York was to catch a train that would bring him to Arizona... Instead, somewhere between an escaped Niffler, Death Potions and an Obscurial wreaking havoc, he found the probably most magical creature in existence... and he had no idea what to do about it.

Starting just before the end of the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", this story follows Newt and Tina and their somewhat slow and uncertain way towards getting what they never knew they needed...This work is mostly rated T with few and far between Explicit content (doesn't really start until chapter 21). It is also marked so it can be left out of reading altogether should that kind of thing not float your boat. Otherwise this is just a cute and fluffy story with minimum drama and a happy ending :)





	1. Aftermath of a Duel

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at writing anything resembling a fanfic, since there seemed to be a distinct lack of lengthy Newtina fics when I started thinking this up (way back in 2016 ^^)  
> English is not my first language and this entire work is unbeta'ed, please note that before criticising ;)  
> I'd be happy if you leave kudos, leave a comment and tell me what you think. 
> 
> ~Now revised to include the fact that our beloved Goldstein sisters are actually Jewish. Thank you, tumblr.~

It had been a long and trying few days for Newt Scamander. Nothing had gone according to plan, absolutely nothing. First his Niffler and the incident at the Bank, which of course was witnessed by a witch from MACUSA who promptly took him into custody. His suitcase went missing and was opened by an unsuspecting muggle, which led to a wild night-time chase of magical creatures through New York – and thankfully none of them had come to harm in this hostile and alien environment. Then he and Tina, the witch that only hours before arrested him, were somehow sentenced to death and only escaped thanks to a Bowtruckle and his crafty use of the Swooping Evil. They failed to save an Obscurial who accidentally destroyed half of New York, captured Gellert Grindelwald instead and performed a never seen before mass-obliviation with the help of his thunderbird.

All he had wanted in New York was to catch a train that would bring him closer to Arizona, closer to releasing Frank into the wild where he belonged. And now here he was, bidding farewell to an unexpected friend as he stepped into the Obliviating Rain per orders of the president. Kind and brave Jacob, who was thrust into a world he never would have dreamed of existing and found wonderful new friends therein, only to have it all taken away from him again.

A sharp pain stabbed in his chest as they made their way up the stairs. It was not the first time and steadily increasing in its intensity, but he had had worse before and the scars to prove it. The ringing in his ears and splitting headache were annoying to be sure, but could be dealt with. The cloudy and hazy vision would probably be a sideffect of his lack of sleep, after all he had not yet had quiet minute in this city that was so much more interesting that he had initially thought.

And then Jacob was gone from their lives. Or rather, they were gone from Jacob's life. Newt would miss him and he honestly wished his lost friend all the best for the future.

They had just turned around and in heavy silence went down the steps back into the subway when his body suddenly failed him. He staggered on the third step, fell on the fourth and collapsed onto the stairs in a heap. His strength had left him completely. Confusion. He was back down the subway station with Grindelwald. Lightning flashed all around him. Pain. So much pain. It was torture.

"Newt!" Tina's shocked cry was the last thing he heard before he lost all conciousness.

 

* * *

 

They apparated directly into their livingroom, Newt's unconcious form between them.

"Quickly, he needs to lay down!" Queenie started to move them in the direction of the bedroom and Tina could only follow. She was still in shock.

"I'll go and get Mrs. Esposito. She used to be a healer, right?" Tina did not answer her. Queenie quickly walked out of their appartment and down the stairs to wake their landlady while Tina couldn't move from his side. Newt was breathing erraticly with the pain and the colour had left his face completely by now. _What happened to him?_ She adjusted the pillow under his head. The skin on his forehead felt cold and clammy.

"Wake up, Newt", she whispered as she gently stroked the wild auburn hair out of his face. "Please, you need to wake up!"

There was a small commotion in the hallway and then two pair of feet hurying up the stairs and into the flat. "What happened?" Mrs. Esposito.

Queenie answered before Tina even registered the question. "He was involved in a duel with Graves... Grindelwald. That is what I saw in his mind just before he blacked out, blue lightning and pain."

"He was fine when I found them," Tina remembered slowly. "At least nothing seemed to be wrong with him. But then he suddenly broke down and lost conciousness."

Mrs. Espisito took one long look at the unconcious man on the bed, then at the girls. "Okay. Tina, help me take his coat off. And then out with both of you, this situation is indecent enough as it is!"

Tina did as she was told and backed out of the room with Newt's heavy blue coat in her arms, her eyes never leaving his pale face. "Can you help him?" she whispered in a shaky voice.

Mrs. Esposito looked at her suspiciously for a moment which then turned into compassion. "I will do my best."

 

Tina sat on the livingroom couch, the blue coat still clutched in her arms, but could not remember how she actually got there. The door to the bedroom was closed now and she could hear someone busy at work on the other side. "It will be alright, Teenie. He will be allright." Queenie sat next to her on the settee and gave her an encouraging smile. Tina did not answer though, she was already deeply lost in her thoughts.

What had happened between Newt and Gra- no, Grindelwald! before she could make her way down the tunnels? And why didn't she notice that something was wrong with him? She'd seen that the death of Creedence had pained him greatly, another one lost. It had pained her too. But he was otherwise doing fine when he revealed Grindelwald to them, even setting the thunderbird free went off without any cause for alarm. She'd stood next to him for most of this, how couldn't she have noticed? If something irreversible happened to him.... if he wouldn't wake up again... it would be her fault. Her fault.

Queenie sucked in a sharp breath."Teenie, stop thinking like that! If it is anyone's fault, it's mine. He must've been in pain since I got down there and I didn't see it. I was too focussed on myself to notice him hurting. And I..."

"Queenie,", Tina interrupted her softly, because she coulnd't listen to her sister berating herself. "You just lost someone very dear to you. I don't put blame on anyone but myself for this. I should've noticed that he was not doing fine. I was next to him the entire time and I didn't see until he collapsed right in front of me." She closed her eyes, pained by self-reproval as the scene replayed in her mind. "How could I not see?"

Queenie smiled sadly at what she saw so clearly in her sister's mind. "You were more focussed on your sister's wellbeing than anyone else." She put her arms around Tina and wrapped her in a comforting hug. "Thank you."

They both sat in silence like this for a long while, both lost in their own thoughts until the door to the bedroom opened and closed behind Mrs. Esposito.

Tinas had snapped up from her sister's shoulder and searched her face for news. "How is he?" she inquired.

"He will be fine." The landlady stepped further into the room. She looked exhausted, the wrinkles on her face more pronounced that they had been before. "It was a lot of work, that Grindelwad did quite a job on him. A Cruciatus Curse was definately part of it." Both sisters sucked in a sharp breath at that. An Unforgivable Curse... "But he will be fine. He needs sleep now to heal fully." She sank down on a chair at the dinner table and looked at Tina's untouched cup on the table. With a flick of her wand, Queenie reheated the cocoa and set it in front of the older woman, who gratefully took a long sip of the sweet beverage.

She looked at the girls in front of her, the query on her mind even for Tina clear to see.

Again it was Queenie who answered her unvoiced questions. "His name is Newt Scamander and he's a friend of Tina's. They know each other from work." Not exactly the truth but close enough. "He helped solving the No-Maj gas leak situation... you know, the one with the supposed creature that caused a lot of mayhem and killed a No-Maj?"

"Yes, I've heard of that. But what is he doing here? In your flat? You know the rules of this house."

"I didn't know where else to go," Tina said quietly. It was the truth. "The other Aurors had left the premises already and were busy restoring the city to normal after what happened. He looked completely fine and we didn't know that he duelled with Grindelwald. And then suddenly he collapsed and there was no other help to be found. So we came here."

Mrs. Esposito thought it over before she answered. "In that case it was probably a good choice to bring him here. But you know the rules: no men on the premises. I will look the other way this once, being an emergency and all, but don't let it happen again!" She paused. "He'll have to stay until he is fully healed, though. Unless he has someone else to take care of him?"

"No, Mr. Scamander is a visitor from England and doesn't know anyone else in this city." Mrs. Esposito nodded. "Well, then he'll stay. I believe you girls can handle it from here? He'll be asleep for at least another day, he needs the rest. I'll come by some time tomorrow to check on him again though." She drained the last of the cocoa and moved to the door. "Call me if anything changes, will you?"

"Can I go in to see him?" Tina asked in return.

"Sure, Tina. But as I said, he is deeply asleep and will be for a while. Someone should probably keep him under observation, though," she added with a knowing smile towards the older Goldstein sister.

Tina nodded once and moved from the little settee towards the bedroom. She still clutched the familar blue coat in her arms. _He'll live_ , she repeated in her mind. _Newt will be fine again._

 

* * *

 

There was a dull pounding in his head when he woke up. He swallowed, but his throat was too dry and sticky. He tried to open his eyes but closed them again when a blinding light caused him even more pain. _Where am I?_

There was a soft pillow under his head and a comfortable blanket drawn over his body. He was in a bed, but not his own. He tried to remember what happened. Tremendous pain. Stairs rushing towards him. _I must have fallen._ And then... nothing. He tried move his head to the side, but the pounding only intensified.

He heard a door being pushed open and hushed steps. Someone was in the room with him.

"Tina, wake up." A whisper, sounds of movement. A little louder, "Newt's awake, Tina." He knew that voice. And that name. Tina. And then it all came back to him.

"Newt?" Tina's voice was right next to his head now. He moved his lips to reply but no sound came out. _Water_ , he thought. _So thirsty_.

"He needs water," the first voice, Queenie, said and soon a glas of wonderfully cool liquid appeared at his lips. He took a few small sips and felt a little better.

He tried moving again and this time he worked though the pain. He opened his eyes and saw Tina kneeling next to the bed with a glas of water in her hand.

"Thank you", he whispered hoarsely and Tina let out a relieved sob.

"It's so good to see you finally awake! How do you feel?"

"Sore. Thirsty." was his first response and Tina let him drink another few sips of water.

He could see her more clearly now. She looked a little dishevelled and he noticed the bed next to his had been slept in. Did Tina stay with him in the room to keep an eye on him?

"Yes," Queenie simply said in answer to his thought, causing Tina to look up at her in surprise. "I better go get Mrs. Esposito... she'll want to know you're up now."

"Your landlady?" Newt remembered. He glanced at Tina in alarm. "Why tell her I'm here? You'll get into trouble."

"Who do you think patched you up after you collapsed on us?" Tina asked him with an amused expression. "Don't worry, it's okay."

Newt took another drink from the glas of water. He felt much better now, the pounding in his head had lessened considerably and his voice started to sound normal again.

"What happened to me?" he asked Tina.

"You collapsed on the way back down the subway, lost conciousness. We apparated you here and got Mrs. Esposito to help you. She used to be a healer before she got married. You better ask her for any specifics, though. All I know is she spent a long time in here healing you. No wonder," she added after a pause,"you looked like death warmed over."

In that moment the door to the appartment opened an in came a small, elderly witch with greying dark hair and a no-nonsense expression on her face. "Ah, Mr. Scamander! It's good to see you're with us again."

The girls went outside and left him alone with this healer-witch, who poked and prodded at his him to discover the rate and locations of his pains. Newt felt exposed and humiliated when she undressed his upper body. "No need to be squirmish, Mr. Scamander. I've seen all of this before, you know." Right, she probably had. But that still didn't change how he felt about this.

After a few more painful prods and questions about his general condition, he was finally allowed to put his shirt back on. No need for anyone else to see the mess that was his upper body, he thought.

"Okay, looks like you're healing up quite well. That fellow had quite a go at you, huh? Ever heard about protection spells, magical shields? I heard they might be useful in a duel," she quipped at him. "Though I'm not sure how much use that would have been against the Cruciatus Curse he put on you." _Cruciatus?_ , Newt wondered. Grindelwald had not uttered a single word to cast his magic, so he had no idea what hit him most of the time. That would explain the extensive amounts of pain he remembered, though.

"So I'm good to go now?" he asked the Mrs. Esposito.

She raised a single eyebrow at him. "You could try sitting up in bed, if you can mangage the pain it will still cause you. There's only so much a witch can do, the body has to do the rest on its own." She got up and opened the door to the living room. "Tina, another glas of water please?"

Tina appeared shortly after with an entire carafe full of water and put it down on the small table between the beds.

"He seems to be a quite eager to get up and on, but my advice is bedrest for at least another day or two. So make sure he doesn't leave the bed for longer than a bathroom break, got it?" Tina nodded and Mrs. Esposito was off again.

"Bedrest? No, that won't be neccessary I'm sure." The thought of being trapped in this room for an extended amount of time mad him uncomfortable. What an imposition he'd be for the sisters. "I can't stay here for two days! This is your bed. Where will you sleep at night?"

Tina laughed at that. "Newt, you've been dead asleep in this very bed for the last two days. We've managed so far, we'll make do for another two days. Don't worry!"

He stared at her in horror. Two days. He had been asleep for two whole days! He tried to get out of bed even though his chest was protesting in pain.

"Oh no, you don't!" Tina spoke and gently forced him back down on the pillow.

"But I'm fine. I feel fine." She raised an eyebrow and gave him look that did not brook any opposition... of couse she would see through that one. "But... my creatures. They need to be cared for." He tried once more to get up, but Tina's hands on his shoulders held him firmly down and he was still too much in pain to put up much of a struggle against her.

"Don't worry. It's all taken care of, Newt. We got your case. And we got your book with the instructions. And your demiguise Dougal was quite willing to help us out, too."

"Oh." Newt was baffled by this and stared at her in astonishment. Not only did they take care of him when he was injured, but they also looked after his creatures while he was dead to the world. That was unusual. That was completely unprecedented.

"So you see, there's nothing for you to do now but lie back down, rest and get well again," Tina continued. And this time he complied.

 

* * *

 

He spend another two days trapped in bed (and had to endure another prodding from Mrs. Esposito) before the sisters would finally allow him up again. By then, thankfully there was no more pain, and the curses had left him with only few visible marks. And his strenght was slowly but surely returning. And the first thing he wanted to do was visit his creatures, they probably would have missed him.

Tina accompanied him down into the depths of his suitcase and immediately set out to start the process of feeding as she and Queenie had done for the last four days. Down here nothing had changed of course, everything was just as he remembered... with one exception. Newt stared at the empty habitat that had held the thunderbird Frank just a few days ago. _I hope he is doing well out there,_ Newt thought and then moved on to call for the graphorns.

It felt good to be among his beasts again. And he could see that they had missed him, although they had been well cared for in his absence. "Hello, Pickett" he said when he noticed his little friend crawling up his trouser leg to get up on his shoulder. "Yes, I missed you too. I'm back now, though." He had put the unwilling bowtruckle back into the case before he went to help Credence. And a good thing it was, because the little creature would not have made through the painful duel with Grindelwald. And if it were not for the Goldstein sisters (and their landlady) neither would he.

After all his smaller creatures were fed (and in some cases cuddled) he set down on the steps leading to his little shed and took a deep and satisfied breath. He was home again.

Tina, who had just finished feeding the larger beasts, sat quietly down beside him. "Here, you'll want to have this back I believe." She handed him the little book that he left with her for instructions. _If I don't come back..._

"Thank you," he answered and took the book eagerly from her hands.

"I hope you don't mind, but Queenie and I, we made a few annotations in there..." Surprised, he immediatly thumbed through the book and saw a few scribbles on some of the pages. "It's mostly questions we had while looking after them. Or something that casual readers might be interested in, you know. Cause, that is the manuscript for your book, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." He grinned as he read one of the written remarks. "'Just how many shiny things can a Niffler store in its pouch?'"

"Oh, you know.... just in case someone sets one of those thieving creatures loose again. Could be useful to know how much booty to expect."

"Well, they are native to Britain, so you should not encounter too many of them here in New York. But I'd rather not find out what the limits of a Niffler pouch are... I'm afraid even the entire contents of the Steen National Bank's vaults would not have been enough to test it. Believe me, the little bugger tried. It's practically bottomless." Tina giggle at that. It was a beautiful sound and Newt blushed slightly at this thoughts.

"Thank you for keeping hold of it," he mumbled as he slipped the book into his waistcoat.

He spend most of the day in his suitcase, only leaving it's homey confines for the promise of a lovely home-cooked dinner from Queenie. As he came out of the case he noticed the addition of two distinct candelabras in the windows of the living room, both lighted with one candle each, one of eight.  He'd seen those before in other parts of the world, lighted for the Jewish Festival of Lights. He smiled. The name should have given it away, really. 

"Happy eh... Chanukkah?" he offered, feeling foolish immediately. That was probably the wrong holiday. "Sorry, I'm not that well versed with Jewish customs and celebrations."

"Thank you, Mr. Scamander. And yes it's the first night Chanukkah," Queenie replied with a grin. "Come on, sit. Dinner should be ready soon."

 

The better part of the next day was spend at MACUSA. Both he and Tina had to give statements concerning the Incident. That was the name they used. Strangely that name referred to different incidents that occured during his stay in New York. The Niffler causing mayhem in a bank, was one 'Incident'. Loosing a bunch of magical creatures in New York City and enlisting a No-Maj to help him recapture them, was another one. And then of course there was the Obscurial Incident. Grindelwald.

Thankfully there were no official charges laid against him since President Piquery made it clear the American Wizarding Community owed him a very great debt for causing the obliviation of all New York population present during those 'Incidents'. He was free to leave the country and ordered to please take the suitcase with him.

He also ensured that Tina would get her job as an Auror back. She deserved that much for her troubles. It had been one of his more daring moments, he thought.

"You were in the wrong about a great many things this week, Madame President," he had said to her after the official questioning was over. "But mostly about Miss Goldstein."

"How so?"

"She did what she did out of compassion. I know that is not exactly a quality looked for in an Auror, but she loves her job und lives for it. Even after she was demoted, she fulfilled her duty as an Auror and took me in for breaking the law. You accused her of withholding information about dangerous creatures roaming the city when actually she had the culprit arrested and brought in mere minutes after the first 'incident' at the bank." He paused. "Tough... putting me in one of your cells at that time would possibly have made the following 'incidents' even worse and Mr. Grindelwald would still be undetected. So it was probably for the better."

"What would you have me do then?" she asked him.

"Reinstate her as an Auror, she deserves that much."

 

* * *

 

And now here he was, once again saying goodbye to unexpectedly found friends. Though this time it would not be a goodbye forever. He hoped.

He said his farewells to Queenie when she left for work in the morning. That morning he also had one last thing to do before leaving the States and that was ensuring the happiness of a friend lost. Occamy eggshells made from pure silver, collateral for his bakery. He trusted it would be enough for the bank.

Tina was not too happy about his plan at first, but he managed to talk her into not arresting him after it was done. "Silver is silver, Tina. There is nothing magical about it. The bank might wonder for a second about the unusual form it came in, but that won't stop them from melting it down for use."

He booked passage on a ship back to England, five days from now he would dock in Liverpool and then return to the Ministry in London after a year in the field. He could do with the calm now after this very eventful week in New York.

He took his leave from Tina at the docks and boarded the ship as the last passenger. As he watched her leave trough one of the portholes he remembered the scene that had just unfolded outside. He had said something fairly indicent about investigating his person... he could not think where that had come from, but she did not seem put off too much by it (or at all, come to think of it.)

He had also promised to deliver her a copy of his book in person. And he was very thankful to the part of his mind that had come up with this query, though admittedly last-minute. He would see her again, when his book was finished. _If that is not a great incentive to start working..._

In his small cabin on the steam ship, he picked up the little book that contained the so far first and only draft of his manuscript. When he opened it to the first (previously empty) page, there were a number of written lines and scribbles and all but the last three were viciously crossed out. It said in Tina's elegant script:

_Fantastic Beasts_

_and Where to Find Them_

_by Newt Scamander_

He smiled and thought to himself, _Yes,_ _I like the sound of that..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it through the first chapter! There's more to come if you're still interested ;) 
> 
> Edit: You can read Tina's take on saying goodbye to Newt [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23070204).


	2. Letters across Oceans (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is back in London again. Lots of letters are sent to and from New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter now revised to address the 'Christmas Problem'... I hope everyone's happier now?

December 7th 1926

Dear Miss Goldstein,

my ship successfully docked in Liverpool last night and I have arrived in London now. The passage was rather uneventful but for a missing brooch in a first class cabin. I know what you are thinking now, but my Niffler was not involved in it. I checked him. Twice.

I have begun working on a publishable version of my manuscript now, your annotations are for the most part very helpful and will be included in the final text, I think. It is rather tiresome work to put my various observations into proper words, but as they say: needs must. How else will our fellow wizards and witches ever learn about the worth and wonders of magical creatures?

I trust that you and your sister are well and have not belatedly gotten in any trouble for housing me while I was recuperating. Since you would not let me actually say it, I will put it in writing: Thank you very much for nursing me back to health. And I am still so terribly sorry for having imposed on you like that.

Yours,

N.S.

 

P.S.: I have found accomodation in a wizarding pub here in London, The Leaky Cauldron. The address is the one included in this letter, should you ever wish to send a reply.

 

* * *

 December 14th 1926

Dear Newt,

Queenie and I are doing fine, thanks. No trouble whatsoever with our landlady. It was her who insisted you stay, afterall. And as I already said, multiple times in fact: it was no trouble at all.

I have to insist on one thing though: please call me Tina. I think that after everything we've been through, we can stop with those kind of formalities. It feels odd.

I'm suprised that for once it was not your Niffler that caused mayhem in a No-Maj environment. A shiny little brooch from first class would have fitted perfectly into its collection, don't you think?

How are your creatures doing? How are you doing?

If I am correct, this letter should arrive just in time for Christmas. So I feel I should include a Merry Christmas to you!

Yours,

Tina

 

P:S.: I have never send a transatlantic letter before, how exciting!

 

* * *

January 5th 1927

Dear Tina.

Congratultions, your first transatlantic letter has arrived successfully. I'm glad that owls are no longer used for such long distance deliveries. I remember my father receiving a long distance letter once when I was still a little boy. The poor creature delivering it took more than a week to get it's strength back for the return flight... As you may have guessed, I was the one watching over it.

My creatures are doing fine, thank you for asking. And so am I. Pickett has chosen a new tree to live in, away from the rest of his branch. And it seems that tree would be me. There is no other explanation as to why he clings to me like he does and refuses to rejoin the rest of his family. I'm still debating on whether I should mention this in my manuscript or leave it out for further study. Curious little creature.

I'm sorry for taking so long in answering to you, but for a while I was rather lost in my writings. It seems that once you have really started, it gets easier and easier to find the words – and harder to stop. I'm afraid I might have spend the entire holiday season over my manuscript. My mother was very cross with me.

I hope you and Queenie had a good start into the new year?

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

January 18th 1927

Dear Newt,

I have some news that might interest you. Jacob will open his bakery by the end of the month. I saw the announcement on my way home tonight. Seems like your occamy silver was more than enough for the bank to give him the loan he needed. The front looks very nice, big windows. Queenie is very excited, but I'm not sure if it would be such a good idea for her to visit his bakery. Not because he might remember. I fear what it would do to her.

Our New Year's Eve was spend the way we do every year: just Queenie and myself, a homecooked meal and a bit of music. And then we watched the fireworks from our top floor windows. 

I'm glad to hear you find the writing easier these days. After stepping foot into your case and seeing those creatures with you I looked at them with different eyes. No longer strictly dangerous, but wondrous as well. But don't forget to come up for air every once in a while, yes? If only to read or write a letter instead of a manuscript. Or visit your mother. Does she live in London as well?

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

January 27th 1927

Dear Tina,

That is wonderful news indeed. I hope his bakery will do well, he was so passionate about it.

But I don't think you could keep Queenie from buying baked goods there even if you wanted to. Your sister has a very strong mind of her own (which is needed when you have the ability to sift through other's minds at will). It might actually make her feel better to see Jacob happy and content in his muggle life.

It is good to read that I could at least change one witch's mind about the danger of magical creatures. Thank you for telling me.

Some days I feel very confident that my book will do good for the education of wizardkind, other days... not so much. For things to change people will have to read what I write. Not just the few who are interested already, but your neighbor witch or wizard. My experience with them, though, tells me that is quite unlikely to happen... but I have resolved to do my best anyway and keep writing, with the occasional break to "come up for air" as you put it.

Since you asked: My parents live in the country in Dorsetshire, that is South West England. My mother breeds hippogriffs there, so she rarely comes up to London.

Your version of a New Year's celebration sounds infinitely more appealing than the Christmas one I would have had to endure with my family. Imagine a dining room in an old drafty house, that is entirely too big for a family gathering of five, endless stilted conversation about absolutely nothing of importance and restrictive formal wear! If it were not for my mother I would gladly stay away, but she insists I spend at least Christmas with the family since I tend to avoid any other family gatherings. Which is why she was very cross with me this year for missing it.

I will have to make it up to her and attend Easter brunch instead.

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

 February 6th 1927

Dear Newt,

Jacob's bakery is doing well. It's been open for a week now, and from what I saw in passing, there are customer lines out on the street. So many people, that I couldn't even get a closer look yet during opening hours. Queenie hasn't gone in yet either, but she wants to. Badly. I'll take your advice and hope for the best.

Your mother breeds hippogriffs? That explains your fascination with magical creatures then, I'd say. I have never seen one in person, but they seem like fascinating beasts (of a more dangerous variety). It sounds like your mother is important to you, so you better visit her this Easter!

Concerning your book: Don't give up on wizardkind yet, I'm sure people will read it. If not for self-educational purposes, than at least because nothing like it has been published before. Change takes time, but it will come eventually.

Work has me busy at the moment. You've probably heard the news of Grindelwald's escape. They have us scour every square inch of the city and leave no stone unturned in search for him... but by now that man will have left New York far behind, I'm sure. He could be anywhere.

So please take care, Newt.

Yours,

Tina

 

P.S.: You lied to me, Mr. Scamander! Shame on you. I just spotted a Billywig (that "big moth") right in front of my window. That could only have come out of your suitcase, mister!

Any advice on how to catch it?

 

* * *

March 22nd 1927

Newt?

It has been six weeks now since I sent my last letter to you. I hope that either it got lost in transit or you are currently very busy with your book. The other possibility is not an option I will entertain unless I hear otherwise from my sources at MACUSA.

Please take a moment and reply? I'm worried.

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

April 2nd 1927

Dear Tina,

I'm sorry. So sorry. After your last letter and its rather angry-looking postscript, I assumed you would not want to hear from me again.

Yes, I knew about the Billywig. And I lied to you about it. I'm sorry. But you see, they are not dangerous, they will not cause you any harm. To muggles they will appear simply as a giant moth, if they see them at all. To wizardkind they are harmless since a sting only causes mild giddyness, so there is nothing to worry about. Please forgive me for deceiving you. 

I'm okay, busy with my book. I keep writing and re-writing it. Mr. Worme (my publisher) is getting a bit impatient with me, but I'm not quite happy with it yet.

I'm going to visit my parents for Easter in two weeks time. I have not forgotten.

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

April 17th 1927

Dear Newt,

there is nothing to forgive. My words were meant to be written in good humour, but now that I think about it they could also have been meant otherwise in writing. I'm not mad at you. So far no one seems to have noticed the stray Billywig or the Auror office would have heard of it.

The wintry cold has finally left the city and spring has come. About time, too. No one likes a dusting of snow in early April, no matter how good that Warming Charm works. 

I hope you had an enjoyable time with your family? 

Yours,

Tina

 

P.S.: Newt, Queenie finally went to Jacob's bakery last week (which is still doing very well, by the way). They... seemed to have a moment. Queenie saw, that he recognized her but that he could not place her familiarity yet. And the pastries... Newt, I went past his bakery today and some of them are formed like your creatures! I recognized a Niffler and an Erumpent. Also something that looked a lot like Dougal, your Demiguise. Queenie says, that he has these fantastic dreams, where he gets those ideas from. Do you think anything could have gone wrong with the obliviation? We have not heard a single word to the contrary yet, but this is slightly concerning.

 

* * *

April 26th 1927

Dear Tina,

there is something I may have forgotten to mention at the time. The venom I used has powerful obliviative properties, but it only works to erase bad memories completely. So in Jacob's case... it might mean, that the good memories are still lingering in some forgotten part of his mind and come back to him as dreams.

Now, that does not mean you will have all of New York remembering what happened last November. Seeing the city destroyed by an Obscurus and people in dark coats battling each other with wands definitely counts as a bad memory and will be forgotten. No one else saw and experienced what Jacob did, so I firmly believe he will be the only one. Meeting Queenie and "having a moment" with her might trigger more memories to come back for him tough, so be prepared for that.

I sort of finished my manuscript. I think. Rather, my publisher took it from me by force. It will be revised now by someone who actually knows about these things. Writing and publishing books, that is. I am told it will take a few weeks to work through it, so I will use that time to travel and release a few of my creatures. As much as I try to give them a natural habitat, a case is no proper place to live for a magical creature. Most of them are not exactly meant to be pets.

So by the time this letter reaches you, I will be on my way Africa to release the Nundu. I will write to you before I travel on to my next destination, but I can not give you a forwarding address, since I don't intend stay long at any given place. You could write to my London address though, the owner of the Leaky Cauldron will keep my letters for me until I return in about 6 weeks time. 

I'm terribly excited to go out into the wild again!

Yours,

Newt

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I hope this correspondance was not too disappointing for you. Next chapter will be more of the same and should be up some time in the next two days.  
> Newt is going to travel again ;)


	3. Letters across Oceans (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt is on the road again and the letters continue steadily.  
> Also, a secret request from an unexpected party.

May 1st 1927

Dear Tina,

the Nundu is free at last and quite happy about it. My next destination will be India now. I'm going to release the Occamies into the jungle there, at six months old now they have grown enough to fend for themselves and should reconnect with their own kind.

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

May 4th 1927

Dear Newt,

you were right. Meeting Queenie must have brought Jacob's memories back in full because he recognized me the other day when I was passing by his bakery. He asked me to come by to visit him soon, and with my sister of course. To make that long evening short: he remembers. There're gaps here and there, but he remembers. He asked after you and your creatures and I told about him what you have been up to until recently. He says Hi and hopes your travels are going as planned.

I think it's best for now to keep quiet about it. I certainly won't tell MACUSA about this unexpected development. And Queenie would never forgive me, if I did. She has become very attached to Jacob, the last months might as well not have happened at all.

It's great to hear your book is finished. Do you have an expected date for the publication yet?

Even though this letter won't reach you in time for departure: travel safe, please. You know he is still out there somewhere.

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

May 6th 1927

Dear Tina,

Occamies are restored to their natural habitat. Dougal was very sad to see them go, but I think he will manage without them. He's trying to befriend the Diricawl fledgelings as I write this...

It's off to the Sea of Japan for me now, setting some water creatures free to roam the oceans once more. 

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

May 18th 1927

Dear Tina,

I apologize for the shortness of my previous letters. I usually only have a few minutes to spare before catching a train or ship to my next destination.

It feels good after so many months sitting at a desk to be in touch with actual wilderness and see my beasts returned to their native homes. I'm currently spending a few days in Japan, on the northern island of Hokkaido and will make my way over into Russia tomorrow. From there it will be back to England again.

They have dragons here, Tina. I observed a small colony of migrated Chinese Fireballs that live in the volcanic mountains, while I had the chance. They are such beautiful creatures. Vicious, but beautiful nonetheless.

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

May 23rd 1927

Dear Tina,

I'm aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway now. The journey to Moscow should take about 8 days in total, we set out from the city of Vladivostok two days ago and slowly make our way across the wide expanses that is Eastern Russia as I write this.

There is not much to do here but look outside and enjoy the passing landscape. I spent a bit of time in my suitcase, it has become quieter in there with so many creatures having left its confines. I might spend a bit of time restructuring... expanding the habitats that are still in use, removing those whose inhabitants have been released into the wild. It will keep me busy, if nothing else.

Pickett still favours me over any other tree, he will not return to his branch. I have decided to leave this bit out of my manuscript for now, so as to not give a false impression about Bowtruckle behaviour. He is quite an unconventional little guy... but then so am I, I guess. He is trying to take the quill from my hand right now, so please excuse the poor handwriting. I suppose, he wants me to send his greetings to you.

I have to say, I miss receiving your correspondance. There is a strangeness in writing letter after letter and reading nothing in return. I never quite noticed this before. Then again, I usually never write quite this much on my travels apart from the odd letter of reassureance to my mother. I do hope I'm not beginning to  bother you with my continuous writing...

I will send this letter once the train arrives in Moscow in a few days. So you can expect a few post scripts to follow. 

Yours,

Newt (and Pickett)

 

P.S.: The Niffler has been on his best behaviour throughout this journey. It's day 4 on the train and he has not tried to escape once... yet. I suspect Dougal has something to do with it, though. With the Occamies gone, he is free again to keep the little bugger in check as he did before. The Diricawls hadn't been very eager to be friendly with him after all. It is continuously raining now, and the scenery outside does not look as appealing anymore. It's quite dreary to be honest. Time in the suitcase it is, today. 

 

P.P.S: Day 6. We are drawing closer to what is considered civilisation. More and more people are getting on and off the train and now I am no longer alone in my compartment. Time spend with my creatures is reduced to the bare minimum required for care now. The old muggle lady who joined me this morning is not too talkative, probably due to the barrier of language since I have no workable knowledge of the Russian language. She is currently reading a book and has done so for the last three hours. The Cyrillic alphabet is fascinating and entirely undecipherable for the untrained eye.

 

P.P.P.S: Evening of day 7. Tomorrow we will arrive in Moscow and I'm very glad about that. It has become quite cramped on the train and there is no such thing as privacy anymore. I have decided to put one last stop to my journey and give the mooncalves a new home in the Ural Mountains. Then I will be off to London again. I hope to find a letter from you waiting for me there... that would be a most welcome sight. 

 

* * *

May 29th 1927

Dear Newt,

some of your letters have reached me by now. I've never received letters from such exotic places! Africa, India and Japan!

Is it safe though, writing about all kinds of magical creatures when using the No-Maj postal services from those regions? I'm sorry, but the Auror in me is worrying a bit about the International Statute of Secrecy. I can't help it.

Life in New York has pretty much returned to normal now, with one notable exception: Jacob is part of our lives again. He and Queenie have become very close. It is good to see the two of them happily together again. If he had any magical blood, I'd say that an engagement is not far off, but with the way our laws stand it is a complicated affair for all involved.

So far, MACUSA doesn't know and I have every intention of keeping it that way.

I'll look forward to your next letter to find out what you've been up to in Russia.

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

June 8th 1927

Dear Tina,

I have just arrived back in London and was very pleased to find not only one but two letters from New York waiting for me.

To alleviate your worries: the letters are quite safe from curious eyes. A simple Security Charm keeps Muggles from being nosy and opening the letters to read. In fact, no one but the intended recipient will be able to open them. In my years in the field I found that using the already existing and oftentimes quite well developed Muggle postal services would get my letters sent faster from those "exotic places" than using magical means.

My manuscript has been revised now, I think. My publisher is eager for a meeting this afternoon, so I shall hopefully get some news then.

I'm happy to read that Queenie and Jacob have found each other again. As I told you already on the day of our meeting, your laws concerning muggle relations are quite backwards. I had my reasons for those opinions before and they are ever more strengthened now. What exactly would happen if MACUSA found out about them, though? What would happen to you, since you've kept this information a secret? Should I be worried for you?

Yours,

Newt

 

P.S.: I have good news! Just returned from my meeting with Mr. Worme. It seems, there were only a few minor changes to be made in my manuscript and the book will be published come autumn. I don't have an exact date yet, this is the best estimate they would give me.

 

* * *

June 17th 1927

Congratulations, Newt!

That is great news, indeed. I'm sure your book will be a success.

Concerning the other matter: You don't have to worry about me. MACUSA justice is not usually what we both witnessed at the hands of the false Mr. Graves. I believe the worst they could to was to obliviate Jacob again and this time for good. Queenie and I might have to face some consequences, but if it comes to discovery those consequences will be the least of my worries.

Did I even tell you that we found him? The real Percival Graves, I mean. Grindelwald held him captive in a closet in his own office for months. Thankfully he used Polyjuice Potion to maintain Graves' persona otherwise he would've been dead long ago. He was quite shaken by the ordeal, but he returned to duty last month.

I finally received the last of your travel letters, I think. The one from Moscow. I can not imagine you spending 8 days trapped on a train, to be honest. It sounds absolutely horrible to me... especially that last postscript.

I took from it, that Dougal and the Niffler are still with you. Will you release them into the wild as well at some point?

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

June 19th 1927

Dear Mr. Scamander,

I hope you don't mind my writing to you. Tina has kept me informed of your progress with the book and your recent travels. It all sounds so very exciting!

You wrote in your latest letter, that your book is getting published now. Congratulations on that!

I was wondering though... when you left our city last year, you promised my sister a personal delivery of your finished book. Might there be a chance for that delivery to be made by August 19th? It's Teenie's birthday, and I belive it would make her very happy to see you again.

Sincerely yours,

Queenie Goldstein

 

P.S.: My sister does not know about this letter or my request, and I'd like to keep it that way. If you could send a reply to the address I gave below instead of the one I share with Tina, I'd be very grateful. It is Jacob's flat above the bakery.

 

* * *

July 1st 1927

Dear Tina,

so far I have no plans to release my Demiguise. I don't think he would do well out there. He came to me as a weak infant who was left behind by his mother. I practically raised him and he does not know life outside my case. As for the Niffler... same thing really. We have become quite attached to one another.

I have made arrangements for the Graphorns, though. I will spend the next month or so in Switzerland with a wizard interested in preserving this species. If the habitat provided and this man's purposes for breeding Graphorns agree with me, I shall put them in his care.

Please don't be upset, but I won't give you a forwarding address for Switzerland either. I do not know yet how long I will stay with this man. For all I know, I could leave again the very day I arrive, so as before it would be best to keep writing this personal corespondance to my London address at the Cauldron.

Yours,

Newt

 

* * *

July 4th 1927

Dear Miss Goldstein,

I do not mind your letter at all, nor the request you made.

I only yesterday received the news, that my book will be officially published on August 15th, just in time for the beginning of the new school year it seems.

A passage to New York is already booked and the ship will dock on August 19th. I arranged to get a few copies of my book before the release, so I will not arrive with empty hands.

I will see you in five weeks!

Yours sincerely,

N.S.

 

* * *

July 24th 1927

Dear Newt,

since there has been no further letter from you, I take it you are still in Switzerland and everything agrees with you. I hope very much that your Graphorns find a new home there.

I don't really know what to write about, since nothing of interest has happened to me lately. Jacob and Queenie are as close as ever. I don't know if I even should put this in writing, but she spends an awful lot of time at his bakery or his flat.

Work is the same as always... generally looking for Grindelwald and not finding Grindelwald. A few smaller skirmishes over minor infractions of the law. The usual.

I saw your Billywig again the other day, he's still here at least... 

Write to me when you get back to London, will you?

Yours,

Tina

 

* * *

 

Newt smiled when upon his return from Switzerland two letters waited for him. And a small package. He took them up to his room in the Leaky Cauldron and set them on the unused bed, right next to his suitcase.

He had spend the last 5 weeks in the Swiss Alps, instructing a gnarlyfaced elderly wizard and his son in the care of graphorns. He felt positive about them, since they both had a mind similar to his own, that was protecting rare creatures instead of obliterating them. His little Graphorn family of four could freely roam on mountain pastures now.

He opened the small package first, wrapped in simple and nondescript brown paper. It was from his publisher, the three copies of his book he had requested in advance. One of them would go to his mother, the other two were meant for Tina and Jacob.

Next he opened the letter addressed in a by now very familiar handwriting and read it eagerly. It was short, but that did not matter. _'Write to me when you get back to London, will you?'_ it said.

_I will do you even better_ , Newt thought, as he took the last letter in hand and opened it. Contained inside was his ticket for the steam ship leaving Southampton the next day, arriving in New York on August 19th, Tina's birthday.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Letters, letters and even more letters for you. But I've had enough of that for now, I think.  
> Next chapter we will have a long-awaited reunion... *wink*


	4. Late Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ship to New York, a long-awaited reunion and some Gigglewater for the fun of it!

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean had been rather more eventful than the last time around.

They had left Southampton some five days ago and been rattled by a severe tempest the moment they left the English Channel. It had been a horrible few days with rather tough and unpleasant reactions from his fellow passengers, all of which were Muggles. Newt had been more than happy to stay in his small cabin like the rest of them, even though unlike the rest of them he knew a spell or two to keep the sea sickness at bay. The storm had only let up about a day ago.

Newt took a walk around the decks of the ship to get some much needed fresh air and kill the time. Now that the sky had cleared again it was a rather lovely morning with only a few light clouds overhead and nothing but the vast ocean to each side of the ship. His feet took him to the foredeck, where he stood for a long while staring out in thought. Willing the ship to go faster. To finally reach their destination.

Today was Tina's birthday, August 19th 1927.

Queenie had asked him by mail to make a surprise visit to her sister on her birthday if possible, which of course he had agreed to. But earlier this morning it was announced that their arrival in New York would be delayed by at least five hours. Of course it would be... the one time he actually had an appointment to keep.

_Well, then it will be only a brief visit instead of a day,_ Newt mused and felt a slight disappointment somewhere inside his chest. Yes, he had very much looked forward to spending the entire afternoon (and possibly evening) in the company of Tina and his friends, but the weather seemed to have strongly opposed his idea. _I would be lucky if I made it in time for a dinner now._

Ah sigh escaped him and was taken away by the stiff breeze instantly.

Newt had spent the last days pondering how to approach this reunion. He knew her address of course, the sheer amount of correspondance they had over the last eight months made sure of that.

But then what? Knocking on the front door would do no good, since their landlady had strict rules about men on the premises. It was a building that housed single women only, after all, and she had made it quite clear to him that his extended stay last year was an exception due to his poor health.

Newt had thought to wait outside the building for a while instead... Queenie might just be able to pick up his British accented thoughts to know he was waiting for them and arrange for some kind of 'accidental meeting' outside. But that would not work now since by the time he'd be able to leave the docks and make his way across the city it would be completely dark out... 

For a very brief time he entertained the hopes that maybe Tina and Queenie could be awaiting his arrival at the docks. Queenie knew about his coming, after all, and there are only so many ships due to arrive from England in a day. But he doubted very much they would wait around for five hours or possibly more. Tina would certainly get suspicious of that.

So, the front door it had to be after all. Maybe with a Disguising Spell to walk by Mrs. Esposito's door unnoticed. He just had to hope there were no Intruder Charms cast around the house, he really did not fancy being trapped like a common thief. On the other hand, it would be just fitting for their second meeting to start with Tina arresting him, much like she had the first time.

_Tina..._

It had become overly clear to him since leaving New York last December that Tina had started to mean something to him. A lot of that something. All those letters sent and received...

He usually never wrote to anyone when he was on a relatively short trip like the one in spring and neither did he use to keep up extensive correspondance like they did. But the thought of not letting Tina know where he was, what he was working on or how he was doing seemed unthinkable. So he wrote, even if he only had the time for two short sentences while en route.

It seemed that somewhere between that first exasperated 'Who are you?' in a New York back alley and walking to the docks where his ship back to England was waiting, she had found her way into his thoughts and there was no way of removing her. Not that he had wanted to. Not for a second. It still terrified him a little. 

Newt knew what he would like to happen at some point in the future, had thought on it for a while now to be honest. And he came prepared. But how to go about it, he was less sure.

Courtship of the Human species was a very complex ritual to him, with too many things to get wrong and oftentimes no discernable way to know whether you got it right or not. Which is why he had kept himself as far away from these things as humanly possible in English society. Eccentric Second Son. Disgrace of the Scamander Family. Those were only some of the titles and names he had worn like a Protective Charm and, much to his relief, not one of the 'eligible women' around would bother with him.

But now things had changed for him. And he very much wanted to at least try his hand with her. With Tina Goldstein, Auror for MACUSA.

First he would have to find out if she was even available, though. And at least somewhat interested in deepening their acquiantance. Writing letters back and forth was very well, but that did not neccessarily mean her hopes and thoughts were not with someone else.

Newt really hoped that was not the case, though.

A highpitched ranting noise took him out of his own mind and he noticed Pickett in his breast pocket excitedly pointing forwards and out onto the far ocean. Only, on the far horizon a small mass of land could be seen. It would not be too long now, then. He must have stood at the railing for quite some time. There were more people outside now, roaming the decks and sitting on the wooden benches. Taking a breath of fresh air after lunch, it seemed.

Newt made his way back inside. _Better have a look at my creatures before arrival,_ he thought as he entered his cabin again and took the suitcase from its secure compartment under the bed.

The locks on it had been fixed upon his return to London, it would not do to let his beasts escape again. Especially when he was supposed to be writing his book to deliver it into the hands of Tina Goldstein. He had also added a few additional Protection Charms, just to make sure nothing like New York would happen again.

The case opened for him and he climbed down into the small shed that held his desk and a worktop full of plants, potions and ingredients as well as some experimental concoctions. His home.

 

* * *

 

Some hours later the steamer finally arrived in New York and Newt Scamander was one of the first passengers to leave for shore. The sun was just setting, which it being August made it pretty late already.

Customs went by in a breeze, the officer was just about as ready to leave the building as Newt himself was, and soon he found himself out on the streets of New York City. He located a deserted alleyway a few streets down and apparated to the exact same spot Tina had taken him and Jacob on his first visit to the city. Just around the corner from Tina's home.

It was already darkening between the high rows of city dwellings, lights appearing in every other window. He used the dark to conceal his wand as he cast a Disguising Spell on himself and his case, then he stepped out onto the street and rounded the last corner. There it was. Light shone out from the flat high up where he knew Tina and Queenie lived. _So they are home at least._

Newt walked up the few steps to the front door of the brownstone house.

" _Alohomora,_ " he whispered and pointed at the simple door lock. It clicked open without any Intruder Charms going off, so at least something was in his favour today. He let out a nervous breath and then went inside, past the landlady's flat and up the flights of stairs until finally he stood in front of the Goldstein appartment. He only just remembered to lift the Disguising Spells before he hesitantly knocked on the door.

There was movement on the other side, a badly stifled giggle could be heard, probably Queenie. And then the door opened and she stood before him. Tina.

"Newt!" she said, clearly very much surprised by her visitor. Her eyes had gone wide in astonishment and her expression was shifting somewhere between disbelief and joy.

"Hello," he awkwardly spoke with his eyes averted but a smile that could not be hidden by any spell. "Would you mind if I came in?"

Tina hastily stepped aside to let him enter the appartment and closed the door only after checking for any signs of their landlady. There were none.

"Newt," she said again, and now the smile had won out on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm so terribly sorry to barge in on you this late," he started and felt the embarrassment colouring his face. It would probably have been more proper to wait until tomorrow, but now he was here and so he should better get on with it. He rummaged through the pockets of his coat until he found it. "Happy Birthday, Tina." In his hands was a small package, neatly wrapped with a bow, that contained his newly released book. Delivered in person, just as he had promised her.

"I... thank you," she whispered and gently took the present from his hands to unwrap it.

"Hello Mr. Scamander!" Queenie greeted him with a broad smile. "You're awefully late, you know?"

"Yes, I apologize." Newt still stood just inside the living room, not having moved an inch. "I had intended to arrive a bit earlier, but as it was, we came upon a terrible storm at sea and the ship ran a little late."

"Oh, don't worry, you're still just in time for dinner. Come on and join us!" She raised her wand and another plate, cutlery as well as a glass floated over to the table and set itself up at the same chair he occupied at their last shared meal.

Newt hurried out of his coat and hung it next to the door, then moved over to the table and set his suitcase cautiously down next to the chair. In the meantime, Tina had finally unwrapped her present.

"Oh, Newt. It's beautiful!" She held in her hands the little red leatherbound book that read its name in golden letters. " _'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'_ by Newt Scamander. You used the name I came up with!"

Newt blushed a little at her enthusiasm, she was already flipping through the pages in wonder. "Ah, yes. I hope you don't mind. I rather liked the sound of it." Tina only grinned in answer.

"Congratulations, Mr. Scamander!" Queenie chirped in. "You're a proper author now, book published and all." He felt himself turning an even darker shade of pink.

"Now, I wouldn't exactly go that far..." he started, but Queenie was having none of it.

"Nonsense, you're an author and Tina has the proof in her hand. That makes two reasons to celebrate tonight, don't you think, Teenie?" But Tina was quite engrossed inside the pages of the book. From where he stood, it looked a lot like the chapter about Nifflers.

"Come on and sit down, Mr. Scamander!" the younger sister insisted. A bottle of Gigglewater had appeared on the table now, along with three smaller glasses. "I was a bit worried, you wouldn't show after all, you know. Your letter said the 19 th , but when evening came and you were nowhere to be found... but you're here now."

Tina looked up at them. "What did you just say? You knew he was coming?"

Queenie giggled. "I sure did Teenie. Happy Birthday!" There was a silent conversation between the two of them which ended with Queenie giggling even more and traces of annoyance on Tina's face.

Newt hurried to explain the situation. "Your sister wrote me a letter a while back, politely asking if it was maybe possible to deliver that copy of my book on a certain date." He shrugged nonchalantely. "And as it turned out, it was. Possible."

Their eyes connected for a brief second and a wonderful warmth blossomed in his chest as Newt felt those deep brown eyes on him. Did she have that same effect on him the last time they were together? He couldn't be sure, but he liked it very much.

"You only just arrived on the steamer, didn't you?" Tina asked him. Newt nodded. "Then we should start with dinner, you must be starving!"

The light was dimmed and candles illuminated their table with a warm light. They ate and talked, drank shots of Gigglewater inbetween and altogether had an enjoyable time celebrating Tina's birthday.

When the last of the plates and food had vanished, Queenie conjured another sweet surprise for her sister. A cake appeared before her, covered in rich dark chocolate and cream with a neat 'Happy Birthday' written in icing sugar. A gift from Jacob, Queenie said. And Tina's favourite. It tasted wonderful.

The evening turned into night and it was only when the small clock above the fireplace chimed half past midnight that they noticed the late hour.

"Oh my, it is quite late! I should probably go." Newt exclaimed with a tinge of sadness. He had not meant to stay this late but he enjoyed every minute in the company of the two sisters. There had been quite a lot of catching up to do.

"Do you have a place to stay yet, Newt?" Tina asked a little worried. Maybe it was the few shots of Gigglewater, but Newt found himself outright staring at her with a reassuring smile.

"I made arrangements for a room in a boarding-house before I left England. I just have to hope that someone will still be around to check me in." He chuckled. If it was anything like the Leaky Cauldron, there would always be someone around. And it was the owner of said London wizarding pub who had recommended those lodgings to him, so...

Another chuckle escaped him. He really had rather more to drink that he was used to, didn't he?

"How long are you staying, then?" Tina inquired further and she seemed for some reason a bit nervous about it.

Newt thought for a moment. "I don't know yet," he said honestly, because he really hadn't thought much further than arriving here and assessing the situation regarding... Tina. "My return ticket still has to be booked." He chuckled again. This was getting a bit out of hand.

When he moved to get up, his surroundings swayed just a little more than he was used to. Queenie moved to steady him on his feet. "Newt, honey. I think you should stay just a little longer... a coffee might do you well before you leave. Apparating in your current state can be very dangerous."

So he sat back down with a nod and drank the offered coffee, because she was right. It would not do to get splinched on his first day back in New York. An entirely wrong way to go about this courtship business.

 

* * *

 

Tina was still smiling as she got ready for bed. Her day had ended way better than she could have imagined.

Queenie had made her pancakes for breakfast in the morning, a birthday tradition for many many years now. Her behaviour had been a little odd with lots of side glances and giggles, but nothing too much out of the ordinary for her happy soul of a sister.

At work, her colleagues had congratulated her on her birthday, there was a small gathering and the usual dry and flat cake. Nothing too extravagant or time-consuming, she was an Auror after all and there was always work to be done. And so the day went on as usual: meetings with the investigative team, paperwork... in other words: work. She made an arrest for possession and trade of illegal potions in the afternoon. And sometime between all that a message came in from Queenie announcing that she would cook a special dinner for the birthday girl that evening ( _'Be at home by eight at the latest, or I will be very disappointed')._

When she returned home at precisely 7:45pm, her sister had seemed a little anxious and overly worried about the meal she was preparing. It would take Tina another thirty minutes to find out the reason for this mysterious behaviour: one Newt Scamander was very late for his announced visit, and quite apologetic about it as well.

Newt had left their flat about half an hour ago, after a cheerful evening of celebrating her birthday and his book being published, lots of conversation and eventually accepting a refreshing coffee to dispel the alcohol-induced fog in his head so he would be able to apparate safely.

_He was way too tipsy for the amount of Gigglewater he had_ , Tina though. Four shots in just as many hours... but it was endearing to her. Newt became less guarded and was unafraid to actually look at the people he was talking to for once, openly laughing and chuckling when something seemed funny to him. She enjoyed seeing this side of him, the otherwise awkward and reserved Magizoologist from England. She was glad to know that this side of him existed.

Tina pulled back the blankets on her bed and sat down at the headboard with Newt's present in her hand. His book, bound in soft red leather and the title imprinted in luminous gold. She could not believe her eyes when she first saw that title, the very one she had given his unfinished manuscript in a moment of daring last year. Her hand glided over the author's name and she felt very proud of him. _He did it_.

Despite the late hour she opened the book and startet to read.

 

* * *

 

The next morning found Tina oddly slumped against her headboard with Newt's book still open on her chest.

"Good morning," Queenie giggled from the other side of the room. "Did you sleep well?"

Tina groaned in response. Her back hurt and she had an uncomfortable crick in her neck from sleeping in a twisted upright position. "Definitely not," she grumbled while trying to sit up properly without hurting. _You're getting old_ , her mind supplied helpfully.

"You better get some coffee in you, then. We have plans for today!" Queenie was already fully dressed and seemed much too cheerful for Tina's liking. But she was right and so she got out of bed with a wince and started to prepare some coffee for breakfast.

They had made plans to go and visit Jacob today. Newt had been quite excited about his success and wanted to see the little bakery for himself. And Tina looked very much forward to spending some more time with Newt before he inevitably had to leave New York again. Whenever that might be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are in New York again. Finally.  
> I didn't actually intent to write the reunion as a chapter but rather in flashbacks within the next one, but somehow that did not feel right after all. What did you think? 
> 
> Next chapter will be up in about two days, as per usual now. Let's make this the official update interval.


	5. The Birthday Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dinner, a question and unexpected answers. Newt opens his suitcase again.

"So I gave the lil' girl a Niffler-pastry for her birthday... I mean, who wouldn't? She'd been looking at them with eyes wide in wonder for weeks now, whenever her mum came into the bakery. You should've seen her, Queenie. The biggest happy smile you can imagine!"

They sat around the now mostly empty dinner table in their flat while Jacob talked animatedly about his day at the bakery. Queenie attentively listened to every word from his lips, much the way she had done the first night Tina had brought an injured Jacob Kowalsky and a more than reluctant Newt Scamander into the flat. Said wizard was right now taking a sip from his water glass and smiled at the sweet story. Their eyes met for a brief moment before both of them hastily looked away to the side. She saw him smile just a little though.

It was a Thursday night, tomorrow she only had a half-day at work and then a much deserved weekend off after the blast of a busy week. They had already made plans for Saturday, a little outing for their group to Central Park to enjoy a picknick with the last warm and sunny days before fall hit New York city with a wave of cold. She was looking forward to it.

"I really can't imagine anyone with a bigger smile on their birthday than Teenie this year." Tina heard her sister say. Queenie had now turned towards her and it became obvious she was in one of her playful moods again. "Your face lit up like those No-Maj electric lights when Newt stood on our doorstep that evening! It was so sweet!"

Tina felt her face warm up at Queenie's teasing words. No, she hadn't forgotten her last birthday and the lovely surprise that had arrived late in the evening, wrapped in a blue coat and carrying an enchanted suitcase. It had all been planned in advance of course, for Newt to arrive on her birthday with a copy of his freshly published book. He almost didn't make it in time when the ship arrived hours later then it should have. But there he had been with an awkward little smile for her and a simple 'Happy Birthday, Tina.' And he hadn't left the city since. It had been three weeks now.

"Speaking of birthdays." Queenie now turned to face Newt with a playful smile on her face. "Just how old would actually you be, Mr. Scamander? I don't remember you ever telling us that bit of information about you."

The lovely little smile on Newt's face vanished for an instant, when he was adressed. Apparently he was still not used to being included in their casual and teasing conversations. _But we'll get him there_ , Tina thought to herself.

"Oh, uhm... I turned 30 just a little while ago," he admitted sheepishly.

"Really? You don't look it." Newt blushed at Queenie's words and dropped his gaze to the table, effectively avoiding eye contact with any of his friends. _Still a long way to go._ "Did you have a nice birthday then?" Queenie continued regardless. "Did you spend it with your family in England? Or get any Niffler-shaped pastries by chance?"

When she was in a mood like this, Queenie just couldn't resist a bit of teasing, especially since she still had trouble seeing clearly into Newt's mind. It was great fun for her for once to get surprised by his reaction instead of seeing it freshly appearing on his mind beforehand.

"Uhm, no. Not exactly," Newt mumbled and looked up when he heard her sharp intake of breath. Quickly he went to correct himself. "Oh, no no no! Not that. I meant to say, I did not spend it in England or with my family. I had a very nice day actually, best birthday in a long while I would say."

His face lit up as he assumedly thought of that day and Tina couldn't help but wonder how and where that blissful memory was created. While he was travelling in the spring, maybe? He seemed to have a good time then. And it would fit him quite well to spend his birthday in the wild, possibly surrounded by exciting and unstudied creatures. Maybe Japan, where he observed that dragon colony, she mused.

Queenie frowned at Newt, but did not say anything. She was probably trying to work her way through the barrier Newt's British accent apparently created.

"So when is it, then?" Jacob asked to fill the silence that had fallen.

Newt looked up in confusion, when he was jostled out of his memory. "When is what?" he asked.

"Your birthday, of course!" Jacob exclaimed with a good-natured laugh. Tina couldn't help a smile again, it was so typically Newt to get lost in his thoughts right in the middle of a conversation.

"Oh, my birthday." He paused and looked around the table with slight agitation before he gave an answer. "It's the.. uhm... the third of, ah, September. Third of September."

There was a distinct silence while the three of them processed this information and Newt went back to staring at his almost empty glas of water with great interest. _Did I hear that right?,_ Tina thought. That couldn't be right. That was...

"That was last Saturday," Tina finally said. She could not keep the bewilderment out of her voice.

"Hm, yes," Newt admitted in a soft voice and nodded, eyes still firmly locked on his water and a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Your birthday was last Saturday?" Newt nodded once more. Tina couldn't believe this. And looking at her sister and Jacob she saw that neither could they. None of them had known, apparently.

"You helped me with the groceries that day," Tina recalled. "You carried them all the way from the shop and up into the flat, the No-Maj way at your own insistence. And then you kept me company all afternoon while I had to finish some work for the Auror office." She frowned again in disbelieve. "And you brought me coffee and a sandwhich when that took way longer than expected."

"Yes, that is quite correct." There was that little smile again on his face, but it vanished immediately when he noticed his friends still staring at him incredulously.

She knew Newt to be an unconventional person, but spending his birthday running menial errands and watching her filling out paperwork... how could that have been a 'wonderful day' in his mind? What happened all the other years to make last Saturday one of his best birthdays? And why would he willingly spend the entire day with her of all people? Tina wondered all of this and just started voicing a question when Queenie's soft voice interrupted her.

"Don't, Teenie." She looked at her sister in question and immediately she knew that she had seen something in Newt's mind. She continued. "He enjoyed that day the way it was, and that is all that matters, right?"

Right. Of course. No more questions.

Queenie changed the subject.

 

* * *

 

Newt felt very uncomfortable at the table. He never liked being the center of attention in any situation, and what happened just now was exactly the kind of thing he did not like. It made him feel self-conscious. He had not wanted his friends to make a fuss over his birthday, as he knew they would, did not want to be a bother to them. So he simply had not told them and instead spend most of the day happily at Tina's side, providing a helping hand, quiet company and nutrition for her whenever neccessary.

And that, apparently, was not the right thing to be done on one's birthday, he thought when he saw his friends' expressions. Cake and presents were the normal way to celebrate, he knew. A gathering or party the expected ritual to go with them. Company and merriment. Tina would probably think him of him as an odd man now more than ever... odd and unsociable. Abnormal.

And who in their right mind would want the affections of such a man?

Newt knew of his personal shortcomings quite well having lived with them for thirty years now, and he had spend the last three weeks since his arrival in New York on his very best behaviour, trying to be less of an awkward person and more comfortable around his own species. Humans. A perfect gentleman by any definition, someone whose company is liked. And until tonight it had worked quite well in his opinion. They had become rather close and spend a lot of time together, so he must have done something right for once. He joined the two sisters and Jacob for dinner most nights, often at Tina's invitation, and the four of them went out together on the weekends. He tried for her, and yet such a simple question ruined the efforts he had made in his pursuit.

_What was I thinking anyway,_ he thought miserably. _I'd never be eligible to her in any way, no matter how hard I try._ Not to a woman like Tina. She only deserved the best. Which he was decidedly not.

Newt decided that it was time to leave for the night before something even more disastrous would occur. The general conversation had gone right over his head anyway after Queenie stopped her sister from asking a question he was not ready to answer yet. She had probably seen every single one of his thoughts since and before then, and those revealed absolutely too much of his aspirations and intentions. No, he should better go now.

"I have to go," he said when there was a short pause in the conversation around him. "Uhm, my creatures still need to be fed and cared for, you see, and it is already quite late." He swiftly stood from the table and made to move for his coat, which lay on the little settee just behind him. "Thank you for the wonderful dinner, once again."

"Oh no, don't leave us already, Mr. Scamander. We haven't even had our cocoa yet!" Queenie flicked her wand at the cupboard and four cups floated out and over their heads towards the small kitchen, the sweet beverage already preparing itself.

"Thank you, but... I really should go," he mumbled while putting on the blue coat. "Also, ah, I do believe every now and then you two might like to have an early evening to spend by yourselves, you know? It must be quite a bother for you to have visitors so often."

It was a flimsy excuse for his abrupt change in behaviour, but the best he could come up with on the spot. And he had managed to convey it with something like a smile on his face. It was also not entirely a lie. Spending most evenings at the flat of the Goldstein sisters already left him feeling like an imposition at times, eating the food they prepared, drinking their tea or coffee or cocoa and often staying later than was considered proper because he just did not want to leave for his own lodgings yet. They would not even let him help with the dishes after their shared meals.

"Oh, but it's no bother at all! We like to have you over. For so long it's only been Tina and me, and your company is only doing us good!" Queenie spoke to Jacob rather than Newt, as he was visibly upset by the thought of bothering the Goldstein sisters with their numerous visits. As if his presence could ever bother anyone, Jacob was liked wherever he went instead of an annoyance like himself. Even his creatures had next to no issues with him when Jacob first entered his suitcase, and that was rare indeed.

Tina watched him thoughtfully though and then nodded as if in understanding. "She's right, you are very welcome to visit us any time you like, Newt."

_That was the polite thing to say of course._ She continued talking with an understanding smile on her lips. _And here we go..._

"But you're right, your creatures must miss you terribly by now, and I'm sure it's also the other way around. So maybe tomorrow you could bring your case with you and we could all spend some time together in there. You will join us for dinner tomorrow, Newt, won't you?"

"Oh... " That was unexpected. After that blunder earlier revealing just how strange he really was, he had not dared to hope she would still want to spend time with him. "Uhm, yes. That could be arranged I guess."

Tina answered with another lovely smile. "Great!"

That smile did strange things to his insides and he knew that now really was the time to leave.

"Well, good night then," he waved sheepishly at the three people still sitting at the table and disapparated.

Back in his rooms, in a boarding-house that distinctly reminded him of the Leaky Cauldron, he swiftly unlocked and opened his suitcase and climbed down into the little shed. Once down there, he shook his head to clear it from his thoughts and took a minute to compose himself. He needed to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. After all, it would not do to neglect his menagerie of fantastic beasts for one specific magical creature, even if she was one of a kind and had the most unusual powers over him.

_Maybe not all hope is lost yet_ , he smiled to himself as he went to work.

 

* * *

 

Tina, Queenie and Jacob looked at each other in concerned amusement as Newt's form had vanished. His sudden change of mood hadn't gone unnoticed, from happy and content to some form of brooding unease that made him leave their company much earlier than he usually did. Queenie would probably know what had been going on inside his head while he was dead to all attempts of conversation, but as curious as Tina was, she wouldn't ask her. And it appeared that her invitation for dinner tomorrow night had brightened those unhappy thoughts at least a little.

"So," Jacob cleared his throat, "would that dinner tomorrow by for magic folk only or could I join in, you think?"

"Oh honey," Queenie touched his arm. "Of course you're invited too. I'm going to make a nice strudel for us!" Jacob besottedly smiled at her sister, a fool in love if Tina ever saw one. There was no need for a legilimens to read that thought on his mind... _Could you turn it down a little?,_ she thought at her sister.

"Oh Teenie, no." Queenie looked at her in concern. "Don't be jealous please. You know, Jacob was not the only one with a besotted smile for his girl tonight." Tina unconciously sifted through her recollection of the evening, looking for something resembling a besotted smile on Newt's face.

_Not that I'm 'his girl',_ she huffed inside her head. 

"Yes, you are!" Queenie chuckled. And then Tina remembered that blissful smile on Newt's face as he thought back to his birthday. A day, she now realized, he had spend entirely in her company.

"And the coin has dropped." Queenie quipped with another giggle, while Tina blushed furiously.

 

* * *

 

The next day saw the four friends gathered around the Goldstein dinner table once more and as promised, Queenie had prepared a strudel for them to enjoy.

Newt was quiet for most of the evening, not lost in his own thoughts, though, but listening to his friends' stories instead. He had been a little apprehensive coming here after the turn last night had taken, but the welcoming smiles and enthusiastic greetings of his friends ( _of Tina)_ had calmed his worries a while ago and he quite enjoyed himself.

Tina had only had a half-day at work today, which was spent completing her mostly overdue paperwork. It was hardly the glamorous part of being an Auror, but still neccessary as he knew. His older brother was the Head of Department for Magical Law Enforcement after all, and he loved to talk about all that his work entailed. Theseus Scamander could spent most of a family gathering detailing the intricacies of his latest (closed!) case, and subsequently lull everyone but his father into a drowsy state of conciousness. Politics and the internal workings of the Auror Offices never could hold much interest to Newt but when Tina spoke of her life as an Auror, Newt listened in rapt attention.

"So yeah, I finished up the blasted paperwork for the contraband case. Mr. Graves was glad to finally get his reports and I'm gonna have the weekend to myself. That is unless some sort of emergency all-hands-on-deck kind of situation arises." She threw a dead serious look at him. "Newt, please make sure your suitcase is tightly shut, will you? I've had enough of hunting down things for the week."

"Oh, of course! You know that I got the locked fixed a while back and put some more protection charms on it, too... you'd actually need a wand to open my case these days." He nodded at himself and smirked. "Completely secure. No more incidents."

"Good. I'm actually looking forward to spending an afternoon in the park and at the zoo tomorrow. The last time I was there was more or less work-related." Again, she looked at Newt with raised eyebrows. He had come to recognize the tone in her voice as friendly teasing, so he resisted the impulse to look away, anywhere but at the person talking to him, and even thought of a reply:

"To be fair, you did not have to be there. Jacob and I could have managed perfectly on our own, thank you very much."

"Yeah, you did kinda interrupt us there, Tina." Jacob added. "What with stealing the case and getting us locked up behind bars and all." They all started laughing at that.

Yes, Newt did rather enjoy himself tonight.

"Talking of your suitcase, Newt, " Queenie chimed in. "Can we go and see your creatures?"

"Of course." He stood from the table and grabbed his suitcase to place it on the living room floor. He tapped his wand against the left lock and drew a straight line over to the other. The case clicked open. "If you would follow me please," he grinned and threw the lid wide open to reveal the narrow stairs into his world.

 

* * *

 

They hadn't been inside his case since Newt had left for England the previous year. For the last three weeks, it lay hidden under the bed in his room with a Disillusionment Charm cast upon it, just to make sure no one would take it or worse, accidentally open it.

"Wow, you did some redecorating!" Jacob marveled when he stepped out of the little shed and into the actual workspace outside. The habitat immitating the wilds of Arizona was gone, as were the rocky plains that once held the small herd of Graphorns. Instead they looked right onto a small green meadow that bordered on a dark and dense forest further back. The sun was just setting and emitted a golden glow.

"Yes." Newt looked at his surroundings with a bit of pride. "It was quite neccessary with so many creatures gone, you see... no need to waste space or time with the magical upkeep when their inhabitants now enjoy the real thing."

The three of them took their time exploring the new dimensions of the case, greeting old friends and meeting new ones, while Newt had started caring for the creatures he had given a place to live.

Queenie found him when he was feeding the small poffle of Puffskeins he had adopted a few months back.

"Oh, what are those?" she asked with a delighted squeal at the small yellowish balls of fur gathered around him.

"Puffskeins", he answered. "Quite peaceful and cuddly creatures. Would you like to hold one?"

"Sure!" Newt scooped a one of the little fur balls up and set it into Queenie's cupped hands, where it immediately started emitting a catlike humming sound.

"Yeah, you like that, don't you?" Newt spoke to the Puffskein before returning his attention to the rest of them. "Back in London I received a letter from a witch in Kent worrying about the enormous size her puffskein had gained over the last few weeks, wanted someone to take a look at her. As it turned out, it was no simple case of overfeeding but rather uncontrolled breeding... Fluffels was very much pregnant. I took the little ones in after they could be seperated from the mother, because that poor witch had her hands quite full with the three she already owned."

"Too bad we're not allowed to keep magical pets here in New York. I think I'd wanna have one of these!" Queenie giggled as the Puffskein had moved up her arm and tucked itself under her chin with continued humming. It seemed rather happy with Queenie's attentions.

Newt smiled in understanding. "You'll have to move then, or break a few rules. I'm not sure though how Tina would cope with that, her own sister becoming a criminal and all that."

"She'd manage. I'm already breaking the rules here with Jacob, remember?"

"Ah, yes," he nodded. It was still a strange thought to him, that in the eyes of American Wizarding Law, Jacob and Queenie were not allowed to know eath other, much less be together. It must be hard for them with their romance shadowed by fear of the law. He knew it would certainly be for him, but he would not do anything differently either if it were Tina and himself.

"About last night. " Queenie spoke softly and Newt turned towards her in alarm. "Oh don't worry, Newt. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell her about your feelings." He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Yes, of course she had seen it all in his mind. His thoughts and feelings, his hesitant attempts at courtship since he found out that there were no other suitors in Tina's life.

"You might like to try spending more time alone with her, if you want her to notice," she continued, "make her realise you actually want to spend time with _her_ and not your friends in general." He felt his ears go hot, but she might have a point with that. So far, he and Tina had spent most of their time together in the company of either Jacob, Queenie or both of them. Supervised visits, so to speak. Except for that wonderful day a week ago...

"Tomorrow might be a good opportunity to start," she finished with a knowing smirk and left him to his own thoughts.

It was Pickett who brought him back to reality, poking his ear to alert him of the Puffskeins gorgeing themselves on the pail of insects he had left unattended.

"That's enough, now!" he gently shooed them away and ruffled the furry little creatures in an attempt to placate them once more.

Back at the little shed he found his friends waiting for him. Queenie still carried the little Puffskein with her, while Tina and Jacob cooed at the blue Diricawl fledglings. It warmed his heart to see that she also had the Demiguise Dougal clinging to her back. The two of them seemed to have formed a sort of friendship while he was recovering from the duel with Grindelwald last year, and he knew that Dougal had missed Tina at least a little since they had left.

"Now, who of you would like to see a Hippogriff?" he asked and excitedly stepped up to the new meadow and whistled loudly.

Not long after a galloping sound could be heard and through the trees it came running towards them. A Hippogriff, half eagle, half horse, with gleaming chestnut feathers and fur.

"Stay back a little," he instructed his friends, who looked at the creature with astonished eyes. "He's not used to anyone but me down here just yet."

Newt looked into the orange glowing eyes and cautiously bowed without breaking eyecontact. He Hippogriff looked at him a litle longer and then bowed back.

"Hello," he softly spoke to the beast as he touched his beak and gently ruffled the feathers on his head. The beast flapped his wings in mild agitation when he saw they were not alone. "Shh now, don't worry. Those are my friends. You're safe here. You're safe." The beast calmed a little at his words and Newt moved on to pet his neck.

"Let me take a look at you, hm?" His hands softly moved down to a space on his neck where the feathers were gone and looked at the healing injury, then continued down to the talons and hooves. All seemed to heal well.

"Are you hungry today?" he asked and the Hippogriff gave a shreak. "Thought so... " Newt smiled as he took a few steps back and bend down to the pail he had set down earlier. The beast watched him silently with intent eyes and followed his every movement. From the bucket he took two dead rats and held one up for him to see. "Hungry?" Orange eyes focussed on the dead rodent immediately. "Catch!" Newt hollered and threw it up and towards the Hippogriff, who caught it skillfully and started eating with glee. Two more times they played this little game and then the Hippogriff seemed to have had his fill.

"That's enough for today then, hm?" The creature shreaked again and started moving around the meadow, grooming his feathers. "Okay then, off you go. Off you go." He had already wandered off.

Newt stepped back down to his friends again, who were still awed by this magnificent creature. "He's new here, only five weeks. I rescued him in Northern France when I was on my way home from Switzerland." He stared after the chestnut beast as it vanished into the woods again. "His previous owner was not a very nice man, or a good caretaker. Kept him chained up in his backyard garden with nothing to do and no space to move around in. They forcefully removed his talons after he started destoying the rose bushes and scratching at the stone walls. Such cruelty... he seemd rather glad to get rid of him again." He shook his head at such a lack of understanding for the needs of a creature with wings. "I'll try to restore his trust in humans again after the treatment he's been given. It could take a while though."

"And then you'll set him free again?" Jacob asked with wonder over such a fantastic creature.

"Not as such, I will free him into the care of my mother. She breeds Hippogriffs and knows how to care properly for these creatures. It's why I built this habitat after my childhood backyard, so he will recognise his new surroundings as safe once in Dorset. He'll have a good life there, and maybe even find someone to spend it with." He really hoped it would work out well.

"Who'd buy such a fantastic beast without knowing how to properly care for them?" Tina wondered. "Scratch that, who would even sell him to such a man?"

"Not my mother, that much I can tell you." Newt answered and felt anger welling up inside him. "Who sold him I do not know, because the papers do not say. But the thing is, if the money is right you can get anything you want. And owning a fancy Hippogriff is often considered a symbol of high status, so there's at least your 'why' answered."

Newt busied himself with cleaning up the mess on the small table next to him, until he felt his anger dissipate again. Only thinking about the condition in which he had found the Hippogriff made him want to do unspeakably violent things to the previous owner. He really had needed the strongest of self-control to deal even with that man's assistent, the owner himself was nowhere to be found. _Probably for the better_ , Newt though. There would have been no time to face a trial in France.

"It's so sad. That poor creature," Queenie whispered while clutching a happily purring Puffskein to her neck. She must have seen the pictures in his mind.

Newt only nodded. _Yes, it is. But I'll try to make his life better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Newt had to go and get himself a new fantastic beast to care for while he was travelling. He just has too big a heart (and lots of free space in his suitcase.) 
> 
> The birthday given here is made up, though the year is quite correct according to multiple sources. And so was Tina's birthday. I try to get my facts right, you know ;) 
> 
> Next one will be up in about two days. We're going to go on a picknick!


	6. Orchestrations and Resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue. Or at least as clear a blue as the New York City sky could ever be. What a lovely day to spend an afternoon in Central Park.

That next Saturday afternoon Newt found himself at Central Park, sitting on a cozy woolen blanket and surrounded by all manners of lovely little picknick treats as well as some of Jacob's quite delicious pastries. The sun was shining and the sky was a clear blue. Or at least as clear a blue as the New York City sky could ever be. There were only few Muggles scattered around these parts of the park, near a pond with a small group of ducks swimming peacefully on its surface.

For the past two or more hours they had lazily enjoyed the fresher air around them. Newt liked this part of the city best. It was not exactly the wilderness he regularly visited on his journeys but a green space with teeming wildlife, though admittedly non-magical. There were all manners of birds and insects buzzing and chirping around them, squirrels and small mice scurrying about in the trees and bushes. Several ducks and swans floated over the water or sat gaggling on the banks. It was a different kind of busy activity than the rest of the city underwent on a daily basis, but one that Newt understood infinitely better.

"If we want to take a walk around the zoo today, we should probably go soon," Tina stated with a look at her watch. Newt agreed. It was already rather late in the afternoon given the position of the sun and the zoo would probably close its gates with nightfall.

Queenie answered her in a cheerfully light voice. "Well, Jacob and I went there just a week ago, so we could do without I guess. It is quite nice here, and I think I want to feed the ducks." She innocently tucked her wavy blond hair behind her ear and smirked at him.

_What are you up to, Queenie?_ , Newt wondered. But her answer was an even broader smirk that seemed to go unnoticed by the rest of them.

"But we planned to go, Queenie. And Newt hasn't been yet, have you?" Tina exclaimed with a smidge of disappointment.

Oh! That's what Queenie was up to. _Spending time alone with Tina_. And a walk through the zoo with just the two of them would be a good and proper way to go about it. Newt knew that Tina had been looking forward to the visit for a while now, as she had told them just two nights ago at dinner, and he really did not want to see her disappointed. A faint nervousness bubbled up inside him.

"Uhm, no. I haven't been to the zoo here before," he answered her, before sheepishly admitting "Well, technically I guess I have, but at that time it was rather in ruins and my mind a bit preoccupied with the safety of my creatures." Newt looked over to her with an uncertain but hopeful smile before he stood up and held his hand out to her. It might have shaken just a little with his nerves. "Would you like to accompany me on a walk through the Central Park Zoo, Miss Goldstein?" That was the gentleman way to ask a lady for a walk, right?

"Uh. Yes, I'd like that." Tina took his hand and got up from the blanket, righted her light coat and turned towards her sister one last time. "Sure you two don't want to join us?" she asked, but Queenie only smiled sweetly at her in answer.

"Nah, we're fine here. You two go and enjoy the sights," Jacob said instead, shooing them off with his hands. "It's a beautiful day for a walk in the park. Or feeding the ducks." He chuckled and looked over to an approving Queenie Goldstein.

So Jacob was in on her schemes, as well. _Oh boy..._ He was not sure yet, whether he should be afraid of their meddling or grateful for their help.

 

* * *

 

They left Jacob and Queenie behind with the picknick baskets and together made their way around the pond and back to the paved walkways that ran all over the park, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun in companionable silence.

When the two of them reached a little bridge leading over the water and towards the Central Park Zoo, Newt stopped and looked out at the small lake with a frown.

"I believe, this is where Jacob and I finally managed to recapture my Erumpent last year. It looks a bit different without the ice, though, so it's hard to tell."

Tina nodded at him and took another step towards the bridge's railing, standing next to him now.

"Yes, that was here. I picked up your suitcase just under this bridge after you two had vanished in there." She let out a short laugh as she probably remembered that night. "It was a bit terrifying to see you recapture her, you know. Terrifying, but also hilarious."

"Right, yes. How much of that did you see, exactly?" Newt asked self-conciously. He knew that she had to have seen some of their attempts to get the Erumpent back into the case, but there were parts of that episode he would rather not have her witnessed.

Tina did not seem to notice the colour that had risen to his cheeks, or at least she did not acknowledge it. "I saw Jacob and the poor Erumpent sliding over the ice and you running after them with your open suitcase. That was quite the show, I have to say. After that I just had to make sure nothing else would get out."

Relief flooded him. She had not seen his attempts at a mating dance, then. He did not mind putting on a show like that for the sake of his creatures' safety, but having more witnesses than neccessary made him feel a little uncomfortable. Normally people would ridicule of him for those kind of eccentricities, only Jacob was thankfully being an exception so far. And possibly Tina as well.

"How did you know where we were anyway, if you don't mind my asking?" He'd been pondering that question as soon as he opened the lid of his case and stared not only at Tina but an entire delegation of wizards and witches from all over the world, come to investigate the death of a Muggle at the hand of an Obscurus. That was the one moment he had felt something rather unpleasant in regards to Tina, handing him over like that for a crime he had not commited. But in hindsight he now knew that she was only trying to proof herself to get her job as an Auror back. It had been nothing personal. He probably would have done similar things (or worse) to get his creatures back. Had already done so, in fact.

Tina looked at him now with a glint in her eyes and her teasing voice to reply. "A magizoologist just arrived with a faulty lock on his suitcase. Something big is roaring to be heard all over the city. And there's animals from the zoo loose in New York City... It's not that much of a leap to make, don't you think?" He chuckled because she was absolutely right.

They had reached the zoo's entry by now and walked through the gates side by side, still quietly laughing. Everything had been restored to its former glory here, of course, and the Muggles where none the wiser of what had actually happend that night back in November. They didn't even remember that something had happened at all, thanks to him and his Thunderbird Frank.

And here they were now, at the Central Park Zoo. Just Tina and him. Walking.

His nervousness about asking her on a walk had settled down now thankfully. She seemed to enjoy his company even without the buffer that her sister and Jacob usually provided, which was good. Very good, in fact.

Newt relaxed and finally started taking in his surroundings. Central Park Zoo. Tina looking happy and content as they walked through the masses of families and other visitors. He felt sorry for those poor creatures caged behind bars for people to stare at, but continued on anyway.

"Oh, that monkey over there stole my wand last year!" he told Tina when they reached a section housing the apes.

"Really?" She laughed, but it was not a hurtful kind of laugh. "How did you let that happen?"

Newt explained a bit awkwardly. "Well, the Eumpent just went after Jacob and damaged the gateway back there quite heavily. I wanted to repair what damage she had done, but then this fellow here appeared next to me and grabbed it straight from my hand. Crafty little bugger. He got his punishment though when the wand went off in his hands and transported him right back into his enclosure. Still, so sorry about that." He was talking to said monkey now, who seemed to look at him with weary eyes. _Yes, he's definitely remembering me. And my wand._

They moved on with Tina still laughing over Newt being bested by a stealthy monkey. He did not mind it one bit. It was a wonderful sound to his ears, Tina's laugh. And he had been the one to cause it. There was that pleasant warmth growing again.

The crowd had become a little denser around them now, people were stopping to marvel at the predators the zoo had on display.

"It's a sorry sight, isn't it?" Newt remarked when they had to stop walking near the lion's cage. "I've actually seen him out in the streets that night and he looked so excited to be out and about. Not like this, a morose creature behind bars." He looked away from the lion and studied the other cages in sight. "Actually, they all look rather unhappy here."

"You don't like the zoo," Tina stated with some uncertainty in her voice. She also looked a bit upset at the realisation and Newt did not like that, but neither could he lie to her in this.

"Not this one, no," he said carefully. "Everything is so small, here. The creatures have no space to move around or anything to hide behind for a bit of privacy. They just sit in their cages with nothing to do... that's not a life they live." And it made him sad.

"But isn't that the way that zoos work? Putting animals behind bars to study them and later show them off to the public?"

"In a way, I guess. The one in London has better living conditions though, they keep the animals outside and in bigger compounds. It doesn't make me feel sorry to go for a walk there."

Tina was quiet and when Newt finally looked over to her, he clearly saw the frustration and something else (quite undecipherable to him) on her face.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Tina. I did not want to hurt you." She discreetly tried to wipe away a small tear and Newt did not know what do to.

Of course he would bollocks this up and make her cry instead of enjoying herself. What was he thinking? Newt Scamander, advocating better lives for caged animals when he should have kept all his attention on the woman by his side and make her happy. Queenie would be very disappointed when she found out about his failure.

"It's not your fault, Newt." Tina snuffled and let out an exasperated laugh. "I'm fine. Silly me, crying over nothing."

He finally remembered his manners and patted down his coat pockets in search of a handkerchief for her, trying to salvage this situation by being a gentleman again. Tina took it gratefully, dabbing it at her eyes as she continued "You're right, though, you know? These animals do not look too happy." She put his handkerchief into her own pocket as she was done and continued walking.

When Newt had caught up with her, Tina spoke again. "I remember coming here with my parents when we were still kids. My father always used to tell us these exciting stories about the animals' lives outside of the cage. He made it sound like they just were in there for the day and then returned home to their wifes and kids in the evening when the gates were closed, that it was just like an office job in a way." She took a steadying breath when she was finished.

"I'm sorry, Tina." Newt tried again, when he understood what must have happened. "I did not mean to take that happy memory of your father away from you."

"You did not take anything from me, Newt. Quite the opposite in fact." Newt was confused at this. Then why did she cry if she was not unhappy at him?

"You just made me realise that my father was a very kind man. I think he invented a whole better life for each and every creature in this zoo so Queenie and I would not see their suffering the way he must have done. The way you do. Thank you for that."

"Oh. Uhm, you're welcome." Newt was at a loss for words, so he simply kept walking next to her for now.

Their feet took them back to the park and out of the zoo that had suddenly lost its appeal on them. But they did not return to Jacob and Queenie just yet. Instead they turned left just before the little stone bridge and took the long way around the pond, falling in step with each other as they left the paved walkways.

"I hope you're not too disappointed by that rather short visit to the zoo," Tina said after a while of walking in silence. "And I'm really sorry for that tearful incident back there."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Newt replied honestly and suddenly he felt like being just a little daring. "I quite enjoy our trip, though. For me it was not so much about seeing the zoo and its animals, anyway." He did not dare look at Tina to see her reaction, though, and instead stared at the ground in front of his feet. His cheeks had heated up a little, slightly embarrassed by his own boldness now.

A muted "Oh!" was her only reply and they slowly kept on strolling towards their waiting friends.

 

* * *

 

Tina's mind churned over Newt's last words. He did not go to the zoo with her to see the animals. But then what? To spend time with her? _That's a ridiculous thought, Tina. Stop it right now_.

He certainly just wanted to get away from Jacob and Queenie for a while, their lovebird behaviour all afternoon was probably too much for his British sensibilities. _Yes, that must be it._

She turned her head to talk to him some more, but what she saw surprised her. His face had turned a dark shade of pink and he was intently staring at his feet again. The last thing itself was not too uncommon with Newt, but in combination with a blush it told a different story.

Could it be that he actually meant it the way she first thought? Taking her to the zoo to spend time with her and her alone? But why would he? She was not exactly the prettiest bird around, she couldn't even sing if she tried. Drawing male attention had always been Queenie's forte and Tina was the boring, sensible, older sister. The career-girl. And utter background noise in comparison to other women. What could he possibly see in her?

But then again, he had a thing for seeing the hidden beauty in most living creatures, like his fantastic beasts. Everyone else, herself included, would have never looked twice at the creatures he carried with him in the suitcase. But Newt saw their beauty, their value, and he cherished them.

But who was she kidding? _I'm not a magical creature_ , she scolded herself for even going there. And there'd not be much to see in her anyway.

Suddenly her sister's voice floated through her thoughts, a comment from the dinner they had two nights ago. _'Jacob was not the only one tonight with a besotted smile for his girl.'_ That blissful smile when thinking of his birthday. Last Saturday, just a week ago. The day they had spent mostly together in quiet domesticity. Doing nothing, but doing it together. She had enjoyed that day too, to be honest.

_You need to stop this!_ she scolded herself again. This man would be the end of her, if she kept on thinking and overthinking his every word and action like she had done these past few days. Weeks.

She resolved to stop it. Stop interpreting and instead collecting hard evidence. She was an Auror after all, part of the Investigative Team. She needed to find out what made Newt Scamander stay in New York for weeks even after he had fulfilled the promise to deliver his book in person.

Jacob and Queenie were still seated where they had left them, sipping their bespelled coffees from little cups and quietly talking. It was her sister who noticed their return first of course, their minds were so attuned to one another that Queenie had probably heard every last thought of hers since she left the zoo. Queenie was smiling brightly at them now and welcoming them back with excited handwaving like they had been gone for an unreasonably long time. Which they certainly had not.

Newt hadn't said another word since her short apology for tearing up over old memories in the middle of Central Park Zoo and they had simply walked back around the pond in silence. It thankfully had turned out to be the enjoyable kind of silence though, not the kind that was loaded with too many things unsaid and left everyone involved feeling unnerved and inclined to quickly fill it with meaningless babble. It had been a pleasant walk after all. _And full of heavy thinking._

"We're back", Newt finally spoke in a neutral voice when they reached their friends. "It rather seems the zoo is not that interesting after all." A hint of amusement had sneaked itself into his last sentence. _Stop with the analyzing already, Tina!_

Queenie laughed, but whether in answer to Newt's words or her own thoughts she couldn't say.

Jacob looked at Newt with amused incredulity. "Well, how could it be? We've all been to the wonderful world of your suitcase, Newt. Nothing can compare to that!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been to the zoo in New York or London (and certainly not in 1927), all 'facts' given here are therefore nothing but fiction. Newt's opinion concerning caged animals coincides with my own, though. 
> 
> A little status update for your curious minds: I'm currently 500 words into chapter 11 and nowhere near done with writing this. So there's still a lot to come your way ;)  
> Thank you for all your kind and encouraging words!


	7. A Day in the Life of Newt Scamander

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina spend a day inside his suitcase.

It had developed into a regular occurrence: Newt and Tina would spend at least part of their Saturdays or Sundays (and sometimes both) alone together. Newt firmly believed that Queenie had orchestrated all those convenient absences or previously made plans involving only Jacob and herself to assure it. Not that he did mind, quite the opposite in fact. And today was no different. Tina had resolved to spend the better part of her free Sunday working with him inside his suitcase.

It had been a perfectly ordinary dinner the Friday following the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashana when they had been talking about their plans for the weekend.  Jacob had announced to leave the bakery in the hands of his trusted assistent for a day to take Queenie out of the city and spend a romantic day in the country. He hadn't been too forthcoming with the details, but it had been quite clear this was not the kind of outing intended for four. 

So when Newt had chanced to ask after Tina's plans for that particular day, she only smirked at him and insisted on it being 'Observing Newt Scamander in his natural habitat'. Apparently he been doing much of the same with his New York friends all these previous weeks and she thought it high time to turn the tables on him. Meaning that she had come knocking at his door some time around nine in the morning, followed him down into the depths of his charmed suitcase and proceeded to watch him while he was going about his day. 

Much to Tina's disappointment she had missed out on his early morning schedule of feeding and caring for his beasts, but she accompanied (and occasionally helped) him on his rounds of magical maintenance: renewing and improving the spellworks neccessary to keep his suitcase the secure environment he had come to depend on so much for his creatures. There was a lot to be done with keeping the climate controls for the different habitats in order, checking the dividing walls for damages and renewing weakened charms and spells. He was usually not quite as thorough in this as today, only checking one or two habitats a day, but it was a nice way of showing Tina what it took to create this little safehaven. And a quite subtle way to show off as well, if Newt was being honest with himself.

Tina's company was very much welcome to him of course, but after these active tasks were done and he had given Tina good look behind the scenes, there was nothing left to do before the evening feeding rounds but continuing with his studies. He himself did not mind this part of his typical day, it was his life's work after all. But he feared that Tina, being the active person she was, would get bored and leave early. That he very much did mind.

"Uhm," Newt gestured back towards the little shed with an uncertain smile after they were done. "Usually I would go and get some of my study notes in order, get some writing done, that sort of thing... but I don't think that would be very interesting to you. Not very much to see for you, or do." He chuckled softly. "I'm probably not that thrilling to observe." His hand had found its way to the back of his head carting his fingers through his hair self-consciously. His life really wasn't that exciting, even though he worked with magical beasts. It included rather more waiting, observing and writing than people thought.

"What are you studying right now?" Tina asked with piqued interest.

"Oh, uhm. Recently I focussed on Obscuri," he told her, "studied the one I managed to separate from the Sudanese girl last year."

"Is there much to find out about them, then?" she continued. Newt felt his academic pride bruise just a little at the smidge of doubt in her voice.

"Well, considering that nothing much is known about them so far... yes." He quickly stepped inside the shed and rummaged through the chaos on his desk until he found his notebook, which he took outside for Tina to see. "It is quite an interesting thing, an Obscurus. A young witch or wizard must develop a very deep hatred for their magical abilities to even become an Obscurial. The Obscurus will effectively hide their magical abilities from detection, completely repress them. I believed the girl to be a squib when I first met her, that is until she lost control over her Obscurus."

Newt motioned Tina to follow him and led her to the far corner of his suitcase where he pulled back the flapping canvas partition to reveal a snowcovered countryside with a small creek and mountains in the background. And the translucent orb containing an Obscurus.

He cast a charm over the both of them to keep from getting cold before they entered.

Tina looked around in wonder. She had seen this Obscurus before, of course, when Graves- no Grindelwald, interrogated Newt about his reasons for being in New York with a case full of magical creatures. Just before he sentenced both of them to death.

"Why the snow?" Tina asked with a raised eyebrow when she had taken her new surroundings in.

"Because the girl had never set foot outside the desert, never seen the deep greens of a forest or felt the cold of snow. She begged me to take her with me to see all those things, free her from her prison, but the Obscurus was too strong inside her." He turned towards Tina with a sad smile. "I believe that a small part of her is still in there, that she is not entirely gone. I may not be able to take her with me in the outside world, but I can give her this at least."

Tina swallowed and watched him with wide eyes. "Your really think she's still in there?"

Newt nodded. "Yes. Not all of her, but a small part is still left. I feel like she recognises me every now and then when I come here to study and observe."

Tina slowly walked towards the hovering orb and watched it intently, the pulsing and swirling mass with everchanging tones of black and grey.

"It looks quite beautiful contained like this. But the power it holds is terrifying, especially when you have witnessed firsthand what an Obscurus can do." His thoughts went back to Credence at her words, and the destruction he had caused last year.

"I know. But it is not dangerous like this, it holds no power without its host. Once the magical containment field is damaged or broken, it will dissolve and be gone." Newt stepped next to her and they watched the pattern of swirling grey change for a long while.

"I really wish we could have saved Credence," Tina whispered. "I always wonder if there was something that we could have done differently. That I could have done differently."

Newt carefully placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. He too felt that way, but whenever he tried to think it through, there was no other way it could have ended. With President Picquery ordering her Aurors to destroy the looming threat to wizardkind, the force that would expose them. He had chosen to focus his mind on different activities instead and started with his studies. So that no other innocent life would have to be destroyed by ignorance.

"After... When... I saw something," he spoke slowly. "A small wisp of black smoke moving upwards and away. But it did not dissolve like the rest of... him. And it seemed to move quickly and carefully, with a purpose. It seemed alive to me." He paused. "I don't think that Credence is completely gone, either. Something of him survived that day, and escaped."

Tina turned and looked at him sharply. "What are you saying, Newt? That he is still out there somewhere?"

"I do not know, Tina. That is why I want to study them, Obscurials. Credence had immens power and unbelievable control over his Obscurus. He survived it into adulthood and learned to live with it, there is no documented case of that happening. Ever. Who knows what else there is still in the unknown about Obscuri and Obscurials? Maybe there even is a way to save them..."

Tina was quiet and thoughtfully watched the everchanging form of the Obscurus again. Saying out loud what had been on his mind for the longest time made Newt anxious. Anxious to do something, anything. But there was not much he could do anymore. Over the past weeks he had gained all the information he could from the Obscurus in his possion and read up all the information MACUSA and the British Ministry of Magic were willing to give him on the topic, did his own research in published literature. It was a rather frustrating standstill.

"I should go back to my notes," he murmured and turned to leave the snowy compound to return to his workstation.

"Is that why you are still in New York, then?" Tina called after him as they had both left the snow behind. "Are you looking for a sign of Credence?"

Newt stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at her. She looked very inquisitive, very much like an Auror at work. As if she were investigating him once more.

"No, Tina. Credence is not the reason I'm here." He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat and hoped there would be no follow-up questions from Tina just now. _I'm not ready to tell you yet. The reason why I'm still here._ She looked a bit doubtful but did not say anything else.

Newt returned to the desk in his little shed and sorted through a few of his notes in silence while Tina disappeared somewhere inside his case. He knew she would be okay on her own down here for a while, the creatures were familiar with her by now and the most dangerous beast in his care at the moment would be the Hippogriff anyway. She knew it was best to leave him alone.

 

* * *

 

Tina had felt that Newt needed a bit of time to himself, so she left him to return to his shed and do whatever it was he usually did on a normal day. She had some thinking to do, anyway.

When Newt had told her about his obervations and thoughts on Obscurials, she couldn't help but ask if they were the reason he was still here. It seemed so plausible, after what he had told her.

His answer hadn't been very helpful though in sorting out why he was still around. Three weeks had now passed since she had resolved to find out more about Newt's reasons to stay in New York, and she was no closer to an answer.

She had observed though that Newt didn't really feel comfortable in the close quarters of a city like New York. Too many people, most of which he tried to avoid running into only to bump into someone else with a hurried apology. He had liked Central Park though, the only sizeable piece of nature and green that could be found in New York City. Of course he would like that.

And even though he would vehemently try to deny it, she knew that Newt did not spent much time out and about on his own. The owner of the boarding-house, a stout little witch with a straightforward New York attitude, had told her that much when she first came to visit Newt a few weeks ago. Apparently he only left in the evenings (when he was invited to dinner at their flat) or for a few hours on the weekends (when they had made plans together), otherwise he kept to his room (and most likely to his suitcase). So he did not like the city, but endured it anyway. But why? It made absolutely no sense to her.

And the tone in which he had answered her inquiry just now confused her all the more. It made her feel like there was something he couldn't tell her. Or wouldn't. He was keeping secrets... She only hoped that it did not involve another beast lose in the city. _Though that would probably make him leave his rooms more often._

She felt eyes watching her and discovered a quickly vanishing Dougal a few paces behind her. For some reason, the demiguise seemed to have taken to her. Whenever she came down to Newt's magical suitcase world, it would not be long before he found her and coaxed at least some affectionate strokes out of her. And lately he had become very clingy.

"I know you're there, Dougal," she spoke in his general direction and a few seconds later he reappeared in front of her. "Come on then." She sat down on a nearby wooden bench overlooking a small glade full of fairies and Dougal climbed up next to her.

"You're a bit lonely without the Occamies to look after, aren't you?" Dougal said nothing, of course. Tina watched the fairies fluttering about the clearing, their wings sparkling in the soft light. They looked beautiful.

"Do you know what Newt's still doing in New York?" she asked the demiguise who only looked at her with his big eyes. "No? Thought so... neither do I. And it bugs me to no end."

A frustrated sigh escaped her. Now she was venting her frustrations to a beast... Dougal probably didn't even know where they were at the moment. According to Newt, he had not left the suitcase this time around. She continued anyway.

"It makes no sense. All he seems to do is spending time down here with all of you, which he obviously could do anywhere else. He only ever comes up when he was asked to spend time with us. His friends, human friends. Don't get me wrong, I like to spend that time with him, very much so. But what's in it for him? He's just so uncomfortable out there."

She turned towards the demiguise to look for an answer, but he sat next to her unmoving. His eyes had turned a bright shade of blue. That was... unusual. It only lasted a few second's time, but when he came back to himself Dougal immediately took her hand and jumped from the bench.

"Hey, where are we going?" Tina laughed. He was tugging on her hand now and led them back towards the little shed.

"Newt is still working, you know. We really shouldn't disturb him."

But Dougal ignored her and led her around the shed to the backside, where she found a little stove not unlike the one in her appartment. Dougal started rummaging through a box of cooking utensils.

"You hungry?" Tina laughed when he emmerged victoriously with a pot. "I don't think that's meant for you." Dougal shook his head and pointed towards where Newt was probably writing away.

"You want to see if Newt has a treat for you?" Tina started walking back around the shed but Dougal held her back and put the pot on the cold stove.

"Sorry, but I don't know what you are trying to tell me." Tina was a bit frustrated now. She knew that Dougal was an intelligent and sentient being and wanted her to do something specific, but mimes had never been her forte. "I'm sorry."

Dougal rummaged around the box again and had found a huge spoon, which he now used to shovel air into his mouth. Then he pointed towards Newt again. Oh.

"I think I know. Food for him. You want me to cook." She had to smile at that. Her watch told her that it was way past lunchtime already, and neither she nor Newt had eaten anything since breakfast that morning. Dougal apparently cared for Newt just as much as he cared for Dougal and the rest of his creatures, interesting. _Well, someone has to,_ she thought and took a look around the improvised kitchen area.

After a bit of searching she found enough ingredients to start a stew, which really was the only recipe she knew how to cook without the help of her sister. Dougal looked very pleased as she charmed the knives to chop and the stove to heat and not too long after there was a vegetable stew cooking.

"Yes, that should do it. Don't worry, Newt will be fed today," she told Dougal and went back to work with a grin on her face.

Some time later, just as Tina took a sip to taste her creation, there was a low chuckle behind her.

"What's this, then?" she heard Newt speaking. When she turned around, Dougal was excitedly leading him towards her.

"Food." Tina answered with a smile.

Newt's eyebrows shot up. "You cooked for me?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I did. " Tina nodded towards the demiguise, who sat at her feet now. "It was his idea, though. It's good to know there is at least someone down here to look after _you,_ too _._ I hope you're hungry, I made us vegetable stew."

Tina took two bowls and filled them with her soup. Newt had fished two spoons out of the box and together they moved back around the shed and up to the Hippogriff habitat. They sat down just at the edge of the meadow and overlooked the area surrounding the shed.

"I'm nowhere near Queenie's skills in the kitchen, so don't be too harsh on me," Tina smiled as Newt started to eat.

"It's really not bad," he said. After another spoonfull he added sheepishly "It could maybe use a little more salt, though."

Tina chuckled and got her wand out. "Well, if that's all that you find wrong with it... _Accio_ salt". The little container of salt came flying towards her hand and she held it out for Newt with a smile. "There you go."

"Uhm, thanks." They both added a few sprinkles of salt to their soup and continued their meal peacefully.

Dougal had gone off again with his mission completed, probably back to his little nest in the bamboo forest. Or he was still hanging around and watched them... it was hard to tell with a creature that could turn invisible.

"So, is Dougal usually the one that reminds you to eat on a regular basis?" Tina asked when they had finished their stew.

"Hm... sometimes he does, yes. But only when I get completely lost over my studies and writing. It doesn't happen that often. He's never gotten anyone to cook for me, though." Newt had blushed a little when he loked at her. "This is really quite good. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Though I do think you'll take that back once we've had dinner at Jacob's tonight. His roast really is divine, he was not exaggerating."

"We'll see about that," Newt simply answered with a smile. He stood again and disappeared back behind the shed, taking both their empty dishes with him. He returned not empty-handed though, but with a bucket containing dead rodents. She must have let her slight disgust show on her face, because his answer was an amused chuckle.

"Not for you. I've had enough of my notes for now, so how about we spend some time with Ray?" Ray was the name Newt had finally given the rescued Hippogriff, since he did not respond well to the one he had been given before. He put the bucket down on the meadow and helped Tina to her feet before whistling to call for the beast's attention.

"Maybe today he will let you ride on him."

Mercy Lewis, that was a frightening thought. Tina couldn't wait to try. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, this was not exactly an entire day, but there is only so much you can write about feeding creatures without repeating yourself. I just needed a setting for a bit of domesticity. And Dougal's meddling of course. 
> 
> We'll have bit more of this in the next chapter as well ;)


	8. Caring and Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina visits Newt after work, he has some news to share. The sisters have a little talk.

It was a rainy Wednesday evening. At least it was in the outside world, because Tina and Newt had climbed down into the suitcase again, where the weather was always nice and temperate unless told otherwise.

Newt had not expected a visit from her today, certainly not this late. She had come knocking at his door right after work with a mildly stressed expression on her face and a pleading look in her eye. And so they went down the stairs and into another world.

Once the lid had shut Tina had put her coat up right next to Newt's blue one, rolled up her sleeves and went outside without a word, starting with the feeding rounds for the night. She knew his quite schedule well by now.

Newt did not ask, but he knew that it must have been a bad day at work for her. Spending time with his creatures down here had as much a relaxing effect on her as it had on him, and she very much looked like she needed it tonight. So they went about their shared duties in comfortable silence.

Every now and then, though, Newt stopped what he was doing and watched Tina from afar to make sure she was doing okay. Not with the creatures, no. She had the care and feeding for most of his beasts down by now and needed no help with them... But he had to make sure she was cared for as well, this wonderful magical creature he never thought to find and never would want to lock up, inside his suitcase or anywhere else. His treatment seemed to work since she looked a little less stressed every time he discreetly checked on her and by the time most of the work was done, she smiled again.

They met up at the Hippogriff habitat, as was their usual habit when working together. Ray had recently started to trust Tina about as much as Newt, which was a good sign for his rehabilitation. But he still thought it better to be close when she was working with him. Hippogriffs could be fickle things at times.

"You can stop worrying now, Newt" she said to him as she took the bucket full of dead rats and lifted it up onto the meadow. "Don't think I didn't notice you checking up on me while we were working." She smiled at him. "Thank you, though."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am." She thought for a moment. "I just had a very stressful day at work. I can't say anything more, but... there were children involved."

Newt nodded in understanding. Of course she could not tell him about ongoing investigations, but those few words were enough for him to know why she needed to come here tonight. Tina was a very compassionate person even though she put on a tough face every day, and not just for her work. But some cases left her shaken, especially those involving children and innocent lives, and those when she had come too late to make a difference.

"Do you feel up to dealing with a Hippogriff, then?" he softly teased her, because that was what she needed right now. Someone or something to take her mind off her Auror work. And he would happily provide her with both.

"I sure do." She whistled loudly and out of the forest the chestnut head, wings and body of the beast appeared. Tina bowed to him and Ray bowed back without hesitation. Yes, he did trust her now, even allowed her to ride on his back and took her on a flight over the forest. She had been terrified at first, but she also loved it. It amazed him.

"His appetite certainly has improved since I took him in," Newt noted when the bucket was almost empty. Tina chuckled and dodged the beast when Ray tried to pluck the last remaining rat from her hand. His orange eyes were intently focussed on the food in Tina's grasp.

"Oh no. No picking at me, mister!" She threw the rodent up and away and Ray caught it elegantly in his beak. Yes, his appetite was definitely back to normal again.

After the Hippogriff was done eating, Tina petted the feathered neck of the magnificent creature one last time and stepped back to watch him gallop into the woods, as he usally did when dinner time was over. _No need to stay here when there was no food involved, huh?_

He watched as Tina stepped down from the little platform and walked over to his shed to dispose of the bucket, done with her part of the feeding rounds now.

Newt, on the other hand, was not and so he moved over to feed the branch of Bowtruckles with Pickett still sitting on his shoulder. The Bowtruckle still refused to rejoin his family, completely content with forming a branch of one and guarding his new home-tree called Newt Scamander.

_Woe to all who try to harm me now_ , he chuckled to himself and put a finger full of woodlice, the Bowtruckle's favourite food, up to his little guardian. No favouritism involved whatsoever.

Tina sat down on the steps to the shed with Dougal once more affectionately clinging to her back in his visible form, and looked thoughtfully at the new surroundings.

"Say Newt, I haven't seen the Erumpent around since you came back. Did you release her too, while you were in Africa?"

He stepped back from the wandwood-tree and stored the little box of woodlice in his pocket. Hopefully Pickett would keep out of it this time.

"No, uhm, I put her habitat into a more remote corner when I restructured. She... she needed the quiet." He paused for a moment and then nodded to himself as he made a decision. "Actually, I was just about to take a look at her now. Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure." Tina got up from the steps and brought Dougal back to his favourite resting place (apart from Tina's shoulders) hanging near the old Occamy nest. "Where to?" she asked with enthusiasm.

Newt led her through the bamboo wood, away from the hustle and bustle around his little shed and to a door in the wall, expertly hidden behind some vines and nearly invisible unless you knew what to look for. He opened it carefully and let her step through first, into the warm savanna habitat of the Erumpent.

"Here she is," Newt said when he closed the door after stepping through it himself and went over to greet the mammal affectionately.

"Hello, old girl! How are you today, hm?" She snorted at him and went straight for the bucket of pellets he had brought with him.

"Newt," Tina hesitantly started, still standing in front of the door.

"Hm?" He held up a hand ful of the fodder and watched the Erumpent happily munching away at it. Tina tried and failed to supress a giggle.

"You should probably stop feeding her so much, you know. I'm not an expert obviously, but there is enough grass on the savanna for her, I'd say. She is.... well, I'm sorry, but she is huge!"

"Ah yes," he answered and turned to her with an amused smile. "That would be because she is pregnant."

"Oh. She's gonna have a baby?" Newt nodded. She sounded rather excited of the prospect of having a little Erumpent calf running over the savanna. He turned his attention back to the beast.

"Yes. You're eating for two now, girl, aren't you?" Newt went around checking the erumpent over while she still ate from the nutricious pellets. "Not much longer now, though," he told her. "It will be time soon. It'll be over soon."

"Did you find her a mate, then?" Tina inquired giddily.

"Sadly, no." Newt was a bit embarrassed to talk about these things with Tina of all people. He had been given to understand a long time ago, that anything relating to mating behaviour of any species was not an appropriate topic to discuss with a lady... But he also knew that Tina was not the kind of person to let a question go unanswered.

"I don't understand. How...?" _Better get on with it, then._

"When she escaped my case last year, she was in season and I only managed to retrieve her hours after she was gone," he quickly interrupted her. "Uhm, somewhere in that time she must have found a willing partner to... mate... with. There is no other explanation. I discovered her condition some time after I returned to London and was rather shocked, as you might expect." He paused. "There are only few magical creatures that can procreate with their non-magical equivalents, and the Erumpent is not one of them."

He did not look at Tina, instead focussing on the pregnant Erumpent once more. His voice was somber when he continued.

"So since there were no other Erumpents around in New York last November, some time in the next few days, she is going to give birth to an impossible offspring. And I expect that it will be more of a sad than a happy occurence."

"What do you mean?" Tina asked in shock.

He hated himself for telling her, especially after the day she had had, but he needed to share this with someone for his own sake.

"If we're very very lucky, this will be the first documented case of an erumpent-hybrid being born alive. But I expect that the little one won't survive for long after birth." He sighed sadly and petted the Erumpent's neck before half-turning towards Tina and talking towards her shoes. "Crossbreeding between magical and non-magical creatures is not supposed to happen, you know. It goes against the laws of magical nature, I guess. No one knows why, but experiments in the early 18th century have all shown the same negative results. And I believe she senses that something is not quite right, too. She has been a bit downcast for the last few days, sad even."

Tina was silent, but when he dared look up at her he saw a small tear making its escape from the corner of her eye just before she quickly dabbed it away. With the very handkerchief he had given her some weeks ago while they were at the zoo. Warmth blossomed somewhere in his chest at the realisation that she must have carried it with her all day today. And possibly every day before that. It lightened his sadness, at least a little. Tina always had that effect on him, which is why he had needed her to know about this. He was a selfish man. 

Newt left the beast to herself now and returned to Tina who had composed herself once more and hidden away the handkerchief.

"I hope she'll be alright," Tina finally said in a muted voice before looking directly at him, "and you too, Newt."

"Thank you," he replied earnestly and silently led Tina back to his workspace.

It felt good to have a sympathetic ear for once, someone to share such things with, good or bad.. It always affected him greatly to lose a creature, but he kept going on no matter what, conveying the feeling that everything will be just fine to the other creatures in his care while being heartbroken himself on the inside. Maybe this time someone _(Tina)_ would do the same for him. He was a very selfish man. 

As they reached the little shed there was the Niffler, innocently sitting under the stairs and seemingly minding his own business.

"Uh oh," Tina whispered, "that looks like trouble to me."

Newt whispered back to her "Let's ignore him for now and catch him only when he thinks he got away with it."

They moved on past the shed, observing the Niffler out of the corner of their eyes.

 

* * *

 

It turned out that the Niffler had ransacked the entirety of Newt's shed and its surroundings looking for shiny things to put in his nest. Not that Newt had a lot of shiny stuff in the first place, but what little he had was to be found in the Niffler's pouch. Coins, cufflinks... not even his old and battered cutlery had been spared.

"Right, off you go now!" he told the little creature when nothing could be shaken out of him anymore. "And keep out of my things, you little pest!" He shook his head and grinned at Tina before gathering up what he could and putting it back inside.

"Here, let me help you." She grabbed some coins and the pair of cufflinks that had escaped Newt's fingers and follow him into the shed.

Newt sidestepped the narrow stairs leading out of the suitcase and opened a small hidden door in the back leading to a private area. It was a sparse room, just a bed and a chest of drawers next to a small table with one chair. They dumped the Niffler's booty onto the table and Newt went about returning things to its right place.

Tina looked around the small space in curiosity. "It's nothing much, but it's home in a way," Newt hurried to explain. "And it's usually a bit more tidied up." The Niffler had gone through every drawer and shelf it seemed, effectively clearing them of their contents. The room did look quite a mess.

"I didn't even know you had a room for yourself down here," Tina admitted.

"Well, where did you think I sleep while doing my research?" he chuckled. "There's no reason for camping out in the field when you've got a suitcase with an Undetectable Extension Charm. And I quite enjoy sleeping in my own bed rather than the hard forest ground or some suspicious-looking roadside inn."

Tina chuckled lightly. To be honest with herself, she had not even thought about that. Newt Scamander out in the fields, tracking down magical creatures known and unknown, gaining their trust and permission to study them. It must be quite a sight. And quite a life.

Newt hurriedly tried to get rid of the surrounding mess by waving his wand about, and the contents sorted themselves back into the drawers.

"That's better," he said and already seemed to be a little less embarrassed. "I probably should put a protection charm on the door, though," he said with a smirk and Tina knew that precicely that would not be done any time soon. Newt would rather find a mess down here every other day than deny his Niffler a bit of fun. It was his nature, after all. The Niffler's. And Newt's.

"So, you what? Just put your suitcase down in the middle of a jungle and sleep tight?" she wondered. That did not exactly sound safe, anyone could come by and pick up a supposedly lost suitcase.

"Usually, yes. I mean, I cast some neccessary protective spells around the area, I wouldn't want to have a Muggle pick up my case now, would I?" He chuckled at the thought that exactly that had happend when they first met. "And for good measure I pitch up a small tent around it, just in case someone should manage to walk right past the spellwork."

"Has that happened before?"

"Once, in my earlier years of travelling. And I might have forgotten to use the spell that would repell Muggles... he was a nice fellow though, very chatty over the campfire. Didn't mind one bit that I had not much to say about my reasons for being in the middle of a Scandinavian forest. I was studying a group of Knarls there, you see. Not exactly Muggle-friendly conversation." He shrugged his shoulders. "We went our different ways the next day, so no harm done. I've been a bit more careful ever since, though."

Newt took the cutlery that was the only thing left on the table now and moved past Tina to get outside again. She knew those things were stored in a little box next to the hidden stove, so when she followed outside it did not surprise her to see Newt gone from view. It had gotten quite late now and Tina felt it would be a good time to leave.

"Newt," she started, when he reappeared around the corner. "I better get going now. Thank you for letting me spend some time down here."

"Anytime" he said with a small smile, which she could not help but return. What was it with Newt and his infectuous smiles? Or the bubble of warmth that seemed to grow inside of her every time she heard him chuckle or laugh.

Then she turned back to the shed and took her coat from the hook next to the door before this got out of hand.

"Wait, Tina." Newt stood only a few steps behind her.

"Would you.... uhm. Could please not tell Queenie or Jacob? About the Erumpent, I mean," he asked her a little hesitantly. "I know it is a lot to ask, but I'd rather not have them know about this. Queenie would be devastated, even more so than you when I told you. And Jacob... well, those two did get rather close last year." His eyes did exactly not meet her, rather he was looking to a point somewhere above her right shoulder.

Tina smiled sadly at him when she remembered the impossible offspring. "I'll try my best, Newt. I won't tell them, but I can't promise that my legilimens sister won't find out anyway. She doesn't really care too much about the privacy of other people's minds."

"Don't I know that..." Newt mumbled to himself and his ears turned pink. _Oh, interesting._ What could he possibly think around her sister, that would cause him to blush? She was pretty sure Newt Scamander couldn't be indecent even if he tried... but who knew. Besides her sister, of course. Or was there anyone else who would know? _Better not think about that._

"Actually, I don't know how Jacob can stand it, she's reading in his mind all the time. You should hear the onesided conversations they have when they think they're alone..." Tina's expression had shifted to something a bit more unpleasant. It really was a disgustingly sweet display with those two. All those soppy smiles and giggles... Something strange twisted inside of her.

"Yes, I had the honour of witnessing that myself," Newt spoke. After a small pause in which neither of them moved, he asked "Should I walk you home? I don't think it would be wise for an unaccompanied woman to walk through the city at this late hour." His gaze shot up for a second and met her smile, which he answered in his own fashion. It was a really sweet offer, which she was tempted to accept. But then she envisioned Queenie's reaction when she saw them walking together and thought better of it.

"Thank you Newt, but I thought I'd just apparate, if you don't mind." His smile became possibly a little less radiant.

"Right, of course not." He gestured for her to walk up the stairs and out into the small room he had rented for the time being, climbing up just behind her.

"Will you come by for dinner on Friday?" Tina asked when they were both standing next to the suitcase. "I'd really like to have you over again.." She actually hadn't seen Newt since the weekend before last. There had been so much going on with Yom Kippur and then her overall workload, and in this time she realised that she had missed his company quite a bit more than she thought she would. 

"Oh, I would like that too. But... I'm not sure if I can make it. The Erumpent... she's due some time in the next two days and I should be there for her."

Tina nodded. "Of course, I understand." It didn't hurt any less though to have him reject her request, even if the reason was a very good one. _Stop getting your hopes up, Tina!_

"I'll, uhm. I'll send you a pigeon, when I know I can make it. Would that be okay?" he asked hurriedly.

Tina nodded and another small smile appeared on her lips, this time not entirely against her will.

"Yes. I'll look out for your pigeon, Newt. " She smiled at him one last time and then disapparated back to her own appartment.

 

* * *

 

Friday night had come and was almost gone again, and there was no pigeon, owl or any other kind of message from Newt. They had dinner for three that night and Tina felt uneasy to see Newt's chair empty. Queenie had obviously caught on to that feeling and kept her flirtations with Jacob to a minimum. Tina was quite thankful for that.

Jacob had left the sisters about an hour ago and they were just getting ready for bed with a nice hot cup of cocoa. Tina's thoughts had gone round in circles all evening. From Newt's absence to the reason he was not with them to wondering why he was even still here in the first place... and back to Newt being absent. Some part of her did not like Newt being gone, sitting across an empty chair that was normally filled with the awkward yet charming Brit. It was the same part that told to just stop wondering and enjoy his continued presence in her life. She did not always like it when that part took over.

Queenie watched her from the doorway with a teasing smirk. "Teenie, you really don't know why Newt's still in town? I mean, it's kinda obvious." She went into their shared bedroom now and sat down on her bed facing Tina.

Of course, this would be the time for Queenie to start prodding... when she was at her most vulnerable. But then with Queenie she was always vulnerable. No one knew her the way her sister did.

"Is it?" Tina asked. "Because I don't see it."

Her teasing smile softened a bit. "Yes, it is. Want me to give you a hint?"

"No." _Yes,_ that other part of her screamed. _YES._ "I don't want to know what you've seen in his mind, Queenie. Please don't tell me."

She nodded in understanding. "I won't, because I promised that to him too. But you don't need Legilimency to know he's here for _you_ , Teenie. Even Jacob knew that a long while ago."

Tina's laugh was full of disbelieve. "Come on, Queenie. Who am I to him? I'm no one. I'm just some New York Auror who happened to arrest him the last time he was in town."

"You also saved his life and took care of what he held most dear: the creatures in his suitcase. And now he's sticking around for no reason that you can see. Think about it, he spends most of his time in your company, doesn't he? Not Jacob, not me. You."

Tina blushed. It was true that they had spend a lot of time together, whenever she was not working. And most of that time they were alone nowadays.

But it still didn't make any sense. She was just Tina. What could Newt possibly see in her that would make him want.... want what exactly? Newt was not even remotely like other men she had known, their intentions had usually been clear as day. But what did Newt want? The man who had trouble keeping eyecontact while saying 'Hello'.

Queenie laughed softly at her thoughts. "You'll find out, I'm sure."

Tina shot her an exasperated glare. _That's very helpful, darling sister._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bad news about the Erumpent that crept up there in the middle of this chapter. I hope no one got triggered in any way. (Please tell me, if I should rather put a warning or something in the tags? Or do I worry too much? This tagging business is hard!) 
> 
> Next chapter will be up on the 24th. Christmas! And boy, it's gonna be a good one! ;)


	9. Tea and Butterbeer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one has some more sad news, but also happy occurrences and a dinner.  
> (Yes, I suck at giving summaries.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I post this (very early) on Christmas Eve: Merry Christmas to all of you.  
> And have an enjoyable holiday season, no matter if or what kind of holiday you are celebrating in the coming week.

It was unusual for Newt to go without any message or visit for more than two days, or at least it had been since he returned to New York. To Tina's knowledge, Newt did not usually seek out human company like he had done for the last weeks (months even), barely visiting his family once a year and generally liking the company of his creatures more than anyone else's. 

For eight weeks he had stayed in New York by now. A time in which they had spend lots and lots of dinners, lunches, holidays and weekend activities together, sometimes as a group of four, lately oftentimes just the two of them. It had been a wonderful eight weeks for Tina. But they had not heard from Newt in three days now, even though he promised her a message by pigeon. She had become a little worried for him.

Today was Saturday and she only worked a half-day at the Auror Offices, so early in the afternoon she made the decision to go and look for Newt after she was done at MACUSA.

Tina apparated into the secluded Apparition Room just off the common room of Newt's boarding-house at precisely 3:00 pm. The owners of the house knew her by now and the witch behind the bar waved her through, up the stairs and down a long corridor where she knocked on the third door on the left.

"Newt?" No answer. Nor any sound from the other side of the door. _Desperate times call for desperate measures,_ she thought and unlocked the door with a simple " _Alohomora._ ", disregarding any social rules concerning privacy. Yes, she was that worried.

The door swung open and Tina took a look around the neat little room. Newt's suitcase lay closed on the floor in the middle of the mostly unused bedroom. Tina had a feeling of what would await her down there... the Erumpent's impossible offspring had been due some time in the last few days. Newt would not be in a good place.

She took a steadying breath and out of politeness softly knocked on the lid of the case before opening it with her wand and climbing down into Newt's home. She found him exactly where she had expected it: in the Erumpent's savanna habitat, where he was comfortingly talking to a distraught beast.

"Newt?" she spoke in a muted voice to gain his attention without startling her. There was no little Erumpent calf to be seen, so she knew that the worst case must have occurred. Just as he had expected.

"Tina." Newt briefly turned around to face her, signs of grief clearly visible on his face. He soothingly spoke a few more words to the Erumpent before he stood and came over to her.

"I'm so sorry Newt," Tina said and her arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders in a comforting hug.

"So am I, " he snuffled. His arms had found their way around her waist as he clung to her like a lifeline, his face resting on her shoulder and tears flowing freely. This was an entirely new kind of closeness between them, something that would almost feel intimate if it wasn't for such a sad reason. She hugged him a little closer.

Newt was the one to break their contact after a few minutes, hurriedly wiping away the tears that had come to his face unbidden. He took a step back from her and motioned for her to follow him, leaving the beast to herself for now. They returned through the labyrinth of habitats in the suitcase towards his little shed.

He did not speak another word to either her or the creatures they passed.

 

"Thank you," Newt murmured when Tina handed him a steaming mug of tea, the favourite non-magical cure-it-all for Brits. Something that he needed right now, she thought and sat down beside him with her own steaming mug.

He had chosen a seat on the topmost steps leading up to the Hippogriff habitat, a meadow and forest modelled after his childhood home. And clearly a small place of comfort for him at the moment.

"When?" she asked him when his cup was nearly empty and she felt that he would be more likely to talk to her now.

Newt took another sip from his tea and stared down at his boots when he answered her. "Late last night. There was nothing I could have done for them."

Tina nodded. They both finished their tea, silently sitting next to each other.

 

"Thank your for being here," Newt spoke again after his second cup of tea. Tina had refilled it for him when she noticed him staring into his cold empty mug as if not really sure why it was cold and empty. He seemed quite lost inside his own mind.

Tina smiled a little at his words and turned to face him. "Anytime, Newt." After a short pause she added in a soft voice "I was worried about you when there was no word. It's not like you, you know."

The corner of his mouth lifted just a bit at her words, something that came close to a smile. "Sorry about that... my mind was elsewhere, I guess."

"I know." _Of course it was, and there's nothing wrong with that.  
_

There was another pause in their hesitant conversation which was filled with the sounds and noises of the fantastic beasts surrounding them. A continuous humming, cooing and shrieking that only existed inside this suitcase.

"What did I miss at dinner on Friday?" Newt asked out of the blue, still talking into his cup.

"Nothing much," Tina answered with a smile, giving him the change of topic he had been aiming for. "Only a pretty good strudel for dessert," she quipped to lighten the mood a little. Newt silently chuckled. It felt good to hear that sound, muted as it was.

"There was a minor mishap when Jacob collided with on of the plates floating to the table," Tina continued. "Everything's fine though, we all had a good laugh about it." Another chuckle, this one just a bit louder.

"After all this time he's still not used to looking out for dishes and cutlery at dinnertime?"

"Apparently not, but he might have been distracted... We all missed your company, you know. Jacob and Queenie actually kept their flirtatious behaviour on the low for once, since..."

_... since there was no one for_ me _to flirt with in return._

_... since I couldn't stop staring at your empty chair._

_... since I was lonely without you there._

But she couldn't finish that sentence. Not out loud. It would reveal too much of her growing feelings for him, and she couldn't do that. Not without knowing for sure they were returned, without knowing that his stay in New York was really for no better reason than her. She had to protect her heart, protect herself.

But Newt seemed to know anyway. His gaze had lifted up and turned towards a point near face, an undecipherable look in his eyes. He slowly moved to cover her hand (still clinging to her empty cup of tea) with his and let it rest there. It felt warm and heavy on top of hers and the contact sparked a familiar warmth to blossom all over her body, her face. She blushed. She felt giddy. Her heart throbbed heavily in her chest.

_Newt Scamander, what are you doing to me?_

 

* * *

 

It was another rainy evening outside the suitcase. Autumn had New York fully in its grasp now with strong winds and dark heavy clouds. It was a rather unpleasant season of the year and Newt was glad for once not to be out in the wild.

Right now, he awaited Tina Goldstein for dinner. Just the two of them. Inside his suitcase. It would be a rather simple affair with fried potatoes and vegetables since Newt was not exactly the most skilled of cooks. But he wanted to be the one to offer an invitation to dinner for once.

_'Would you join me for dinner, please? Tomorrow night, after work, my suitcase.'_   was the note he had sent her via pigeon. It was the most inconspicuous way to deliver a message within the city limits.

Tina's swift reply had been a short _'I'll be there at 8pm.'_

It was a quarter to eight now.

Things between them had changed just two days ago. A simple hug meant for comfort. One hand resting over another. A sentence heavy with meaning left unfinished...

Outwardly nothing had become different of course, but the understanding of what it was between them had shifted slightly. He was sure of it now, that he was not the only one affected with these intense emotions he felt around Tina. She was drawn to him just as much as he was drawn to her. Something that he had only dared to dream of.

She had come by to check up on him that day, knowing that he might be doing badly after what happened. She had come to him and taken care of him with tea and distracting words to make him feel better. She had hugged him close and let him just hold on to her for a bit.

And it had helped him immensely, to not be the strong one for just a while and to let the sadness he kept at bay finally wash over him. Tina had been there to catch him, just as he had hoped she would be.

He had let her go that night without acknowledging the change, but both had felt it. He needed time to think about it, sort through his feelings and thoughts. And so did she, he was sure.

And tonight they were having dinner.

Newt took another sceptical look at his work. A plain white pavilion roof had been erected on the Hippogriff meadow, underneath sat a small dining table complete with tablecloth and candles and two mismatched chairs. Not the most elegant setting, but it would have to do.

_Maybe next time we should dine out instead,_ Newt thought and immediately scolded himself for thinking that far ahead of himself. For all he knew, tonight could end in a disaster that would send Tina running for the hills. Then again, it might not and there could just be a next time, after all.

He shook his head at the nervous ramblings going on inside of his head. Queenie would have a field day reading him right now. She had become quite good at that over the past weeks, and thankfully she also kept her promise not to tell what she had seen inside his mind. That would have been quite catastrophic. Instead she had settled on meddling, making sure there was at least some small kind of progress with them. And he was just a little thankful for that as well.

Just as he turned back towards the stove where their dinner was simmering and frying, he noticed a small movement in the grass underneath the table.

"Absolutely not!" Newt cursed under his breath and jogged up towards the improvised dining room to catch the Niffler before he could to any damage. He was just in time.

"Any other day, be my guest to pilfer what you can from 'round here," Newt told the little creature in his hand. "But not today, got it?" The Niffler looked at him sadly, then turned his head towards the shiny silver candlestick Newt had transfigured for the occasion. He tickled the beast to get his attention again. "No, that is not for you. Got it? That is for Tina. Paws off."

The little creature stopped his sniffling and suddenly looked a bit ashamed of himself. "Right. Off you go, then, back to your nest. And no more stealing tonight, alright?" The Niffler retreated hastily to his burrow and did not turn to look back at the candlestick once.

Newt did, though. Maybe it was a bit too much, after all? There was no more time to do something about it, though. It had taken him the better part of an hour to change it from the old and battered candleholder he usually kept on his desk to what it was now. Transfiguration had never been his best class at school.

So he left the candlestick the way it was and returned to his cooking and thoughts until a knock sounded from somewhere above. Tina, knocking on the lid of his case. She always did it to announce her arrival.

A smile crept up his face now as he walked around the shed and inside to welcome her.

"Come in!" he called up to her, and the lid opened, revealing the smiling face of Tina Goldstein.

"Hello," Newt spoke in his usual awkward way once Tina had made her way down the narrow stairs and into his workspace. Being a gentleman, he helped her out of her coat and put it on a hook next to the door leading outside.

He noticed that it was not her usual work outfit she wore, but something a little more... elegant? She must have gone home to change before joining him for dinner. _Unlike me, she made an effort to look nice tonight._ Newt still wore his brown tweed suit and mustard coloured waitcoat, as usual.

"So, your invitation said something about dinner?" Tina wondered. Her voice shook him from his thoughts again. He hoped he hadn't stared at her for too long.

"Ah, yes. I thought it was high time to return the favour, seeing as I have been a guest at yours' so many many times." He paused. "I'm afraid though, that my cooking might not be as excellent as what you are used to. I'm a rather basic cook."

Tina chuckled softly. "Well, you survived my vegetable stew the other week. And that is about all I'm confident enough to prepare on my own... There will be no judgement from me, promise."

Newt nodded and felt a little more confident at that. "Well, come on then. Dinner should be ready in a bit." He gestured for her to follow him out into the extended interior of the suitcase.

"Wow! Newt, this looks wonderful!" Tina exclaimed when she stepped out of the shed and saw where they would be having dinner. The Niffler must have listened to him for once, since everything was still in place.

Newt had blushed slightly at her words. If she liked it, maybe tonight would not be a disaster after all... "Well, it's not as nice as your flat," he started, but Tina interrupted him before he could finish his excuses for not having a perfectly set dining room available.

"Nonsense, this is beautiful!" She walked up to the meadow and took a look around in something akin to rapture. Newt could not help but stare at her beautiful smile, the way her eyes crinkled just a tiny bit and small dimples formed on her cheeks... simply stunning.

"Newt?"

"Hm?" He had been lost in his musings again. And this time he had definitely stared at her for too long. She chuckled at his slight disorientation.

"Oh, right. Dinner." He flew down the stairs and over to his outside kitchen area, calling over his shoulder for Tina to take a seat at the table.

Shortly afterwards he placed two plates loaded with spicy fried vegetables at their respective seats. Drinks had already magically found their way to the table and there was nothing left to do but sit down and eat now.

"Mmh, this is delicious!" Tina proclaimed after a first bite. "What is this? I've never tasted anything like it."

Newt blushed, again. "Oh, it's just some fried up vegetables and potatoes, uhm, seasoned with some spices I got while travelling through India and Asia. Their local cookery is quite different to what I'm used to in England and I liked it quite a lot."

"I think I do, too." Tina grinned and continued eating with pleasure. Newt felt relief flow through him and instantly relaxed a little more. 

They talked over dinner about Newt's travels in Asia. How he saved a nest of Occamy eggs from poachers (the very ones Tina had watched and recaptured during his last stay), studied Chinese Fireballs in China and Japan, the differences between those cultures and wizardkind in Europe and England. It was a rather lively and enjoyable dinner, as far as Newt was concerned.

When he had send off their empty plates to wash themselves they both sat around the table smiling, illuminated only by warm candlelight.

"Have you ever tried Butterbeer?" Newt asked her with curiosity.

"Butterbeer?" Tina chuckled. "I've never even heard of that. Is it some kind of drink?"

"Yes, it's a quite sweet and slightly alcoholic drink. Though nowhere near as potent as the Gigglewater use seem to favour here in America." He remembered how he got drunk on just a few shots of Gigglewater on his very first night back here in New York. It was never mentioned again by the Goldstein sisters, but he still felt a bit emberrassed about it. He had never been one to drink much since he could not hold his liquor as well as other people. But he never had any trouble with a mug or two of butterbeer.

"Sounds... interesting." Tina seemed quite unsure whether it was actually interesting or not. There was only one thing to rectify that situation.

"Would you to try like some? I have a kettle simmering right now."

"Oh, eh. Sure."

He grinned at her. "Alright, I'll be right back."

A few short minutes later Newt returned to the table with two mugs of warm butterbeer in hand and gently put one of them down in front of Tina, careful not to spill anything on the table. Or worse: on her.

"It's an old family recipe," he explained. "Every wizarding family in England seems to have their own way to make it, but I quite prefer the Scamander way. Everything else just doesn't taste quite right." He took a sip of the warm beverage, it reminded him of evenings spent in front of the fire after a day in the company of his mother's Hippogriffs.

"You made this?" Tina asked astounded as she sceptically looked at the frothing liquid inside her mug.

"Yes." She hesitantly took a sip.

"Hm, this is certainly different to what I'm used to in a drink. You said there is alcohol in this?"

Newt chuckled. "Yes, but only a little. Not exactly enough to get drunk on. Even I haven't managed that, yet." He winced after the last comment. Why did he have to bring that up again, exactly? Well, too late now.

Tina only chuckled and took another drink. She did not look quite so unsure about it anymore. "I think I like this. Maybe not in a 'Let's have a drink' way but more like of a nice cup of cocoa... you know what I mean?"

"I think I do. Comfort and warmth." He smiled. "It reminds me of winter evenings spent at home when I was still a child."

They sipped on their butterbeers in silence for a while, smiling at each other over the rims of their mugs now and then. It was comfortable.

"Would you teach me the recipe?" Tina asked when her mug was empty.

Newt blushed heavily. _Yes, I would very much like to teach you that Scamander family recipe one day..._ He kept that thought to himself, though.

Tina, on the other hand, seemed to have realised the implications of her innocent question. And she looked rather horrified. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. It's your family's recipe, of course you won't!"

Newt softly chuckled. "It's quite alright."

Still shaking her head in embarrassment, Tina rose from her chair. "I think I should go now, it's pretty late. And I have to get up early tomorow." She didn't look at Newt when she moved to leave the table.

Newt followed her, though. There was still something he had to do, had to say. He caught her hand in his before she could make it to the first step down from the meadow. "Tina, I..." He hesitated for a brief second before he finally found his courage. "I have become very fond of you." He felt his face flush even more with heat as he spoke those words out loud for the first time.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him. Her face softened. "And I of you, Newt," she whispered in reply and smiled shyly. That smile she only ever used around him. He had become quite fond of that too.

They faced each other now, standing at the top of the stairs that would eventually lead her back into the real world. He did not want her to go, though. He did not want their evening to end yet. He wanted...

"Would you... would you, maybe, allow me to... kiss you?" His voice had turned into a whisper by the end of his hesitant question. Tinas eyes had grown wide, but whether in surprise or outrage he could not tell. "I'm sorry," he immediately reacted. He let go of her hand and took a step back. "I did not mean to be too forward."

"Yes." Her voice was only a whisper, but he heard it nonetheless. "Yes, you may kiss me."

His heart sped up when he realised the meaning behind her words and he closed the distance between them once more. Slowly, he moved his hand up to cup her cheek. Her skin felt so soft in his hand, warm and soft. Her eyes closed at the contact and she leaned into it. And then he gently pressed his lips to hers and everything around them seemed to vanish.

It took only a few seconds, but the spark that rushed through him made him lose all feeling of time. It lasted an eternity, yet entirely not long enough.

Newt slowly opened his eyes when their lips parted again and stared into a pair of equally dazed eyes. He let out a deep breath he had been holding in and leaned his forehead against hers, not wanting this new and wonderful closeness to end. Her hand had found its way to his waist and they stayed like this for a long moment.

"Tina," he whispered in a reverent sigh and at that she brought their lips together in another, less cautious kiss. She moved her lips over his, seeking that sweet contact again and again and again, one hand clinging to his waistcoat while the other found its way to the back of his neck. Newt instinctively moved his free arm around her and held her close, his other hand moved further down from her cheeks and towards her neck with every hammering beat of his heart. This time the kiss was almost overwhelming in it's intensity, and yet he did not want it to stop.

Their heated kiss became softer after a while though, and eventually they parted to catch their breaths, foreheads touching once more and noses nudging softly every so often.

He felt her breath on his skin, her hand playing with the hair at the base of his neck. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again, for once completely content with where he was.

"That was..." Newt did not know how to finish the sentence he just started. There were no words in him to describe what had just happened.

"I know..." Tina's voice was a bit shaky and her face had turned a lovely shade of pink during their activities, that private smile he called his own was playing around her slightly swollen lips now. Lips that had just kissed him. Lips he had kissed.

Happiness bubbled up inside him and he let out a chuckle, which was soon joined by Tina's soft giggle.

"I'm... not entirely sure what to do now. I hadn't planned this far..." Newt confessed when their laughter had faded. They were still wrapped around each other in this very intimate embrace, standing at the edge of the Hippogriff meadow and barely illuminated by the flickering candle on the table.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Tina asked him with a sweet smile and he felt himself blush an even darker shade of red.

He knew what he would like to do, now was not the right time for that particular question, though. He also wanted to never let her go again, but keeping this lovely witch, this most rare magical creature, locked in his arms forever was not exactly an option. Rather impractical for everyday purposes...

"Newt Scamander, are you having indecent thoughts?" Tina teased him with a kind laugh.

"Uhm, no," he hastily answered and turned his head to stare at her shoulder instead of her beautiful eyes. His face was on fire with embarrassment, even though there really had been nothing indecent on his mind just now.

"It's okay, you know? I don't mind if you do."

He had gone completely still now, his heart hammering wildly against his chest. Newt meant it when he said he had no idea what to do now. He had absolutely no idea what he was doing when they had kissed, she must have noticed that surely... He'd have to tell her the truth, even though she would probably laugh at him for his inexperience. She was bound to take note of his cluelessness at some point, if she hadn't already... _Didn't you notice my fumbling at all?_

"Oh, was that too 'brash American'? Sorry." He was dragged from his thoughts by her completely unneccessary apology.

"What? No... no. It's just," he swallowed around the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat before he could continue. _Better get on with it, Scamander._ "I have never... done any of this before." He waited for her reaction, body tense with anxiety at the prospect of ridicule.

But Tina only squeezed his waist softly before answering. "Relax, Newt. That's okay, too."

He let out the breath he was holding and instantly felt less tense. She didn't mind. It was okay that at age 30 he still was completely inexperienced in these matters. She didn't mind.

"We don't have to do anything, if you don't like to," she continued, which made him chuckle again. _If only you knew._ "Or not," she added quickly with a small smile. "It's all up to you."

Newt slowly nodded his head and closed his eyes to breath her in. There was something sweet and flowery about her, not a perfume though. Just her.

"What I want is to not let you go again," he confessed, "keep my arms around you and never let go." They still stood close together with their foreheads touching and arms intertwined.

"Then that's what we'll do. At least for a bit. Might get a bit obnoxious once we're back in the real world, though." They both laughed softly at her words.

"That's what I thought... a rather impractical thing to wish for," Newt said while wrapping his arms a little tighter around Tina and pulling her closer to his chest as Tina rested her head on his shoulder.

They stayed like that for a long time, blissfully unaware of the time passing and wrapped in each other with soft kisses every now and then. It had turned dark inside the suicase a long while ago, the magical candle from the dinner table was the only source of light giving a soft and warm glow to their surroundings.

Only when Tina could no longer suppress a yawn, did they reluctantly part again. They walked back into the shed, where Newt helped Tina into her coat and hat. It really was quite late as they returned to the real world through the lid of a battered suitcase. And it was still raining outside the little window. As if nothing life-changing had happened tonight.

"Thank you for the lovely evening," Tina said with his favourite smile. They had moved into an embrace again, neither really wanting to let go completely just yet.

"No, thank you," Newt replied with sincerity. He gave her a chaste kiss goodbye before Tina disapparated from his room.

Newt put his face in his hands, trying but unable to hide the enornous smile that had taken residence there. _It seems that dreams do come true after all... from time to time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, what did I tell you. That was a good one, right?  
> I was so excited when I realised that my update schedule would put this very chapter up for Christmas Eve. That was quite a happy coincidence. You're welcome ;)   
> Also, you can read the dinner and it's conclusion from Tina's perspective [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23107878). 
> 
> On a less important note: I imagined the Scamander recipe for Butterbeer somewhere along the lines of the original "Buttered Beere" from 1588. That seems more like an old family recipe to me than the newer Potterverse ones floating around. Google will help you find it, should you be interested.


	10. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt meets Tina for lunch. And some future plans are discussed.

True to his own thoughts, the next meal they had alone together was in public. It was not exactly dining out, but close enough for Newt. He met Tina for a late lunchbreak on this cold but sunny Thursday afternoon.

He waited for her outside the enormously high building that was home to the Magical Congress of the United States of America. It was amazing to Newt to see that they had managed to integrate their Congress and Administrations into such a known Muggle landmark as the Woolworth Building, unlike the British Ministry in Whitehall which had been build completely underground to avoid detection. The American wizarding community seemed to have perfected the art of blending in with their surroundings, it seemed. Muggles and wizards alike walked in and out of this building with the Muggles none the wiser about the hidden wizarding world inside it. Very fascinating.

"There you are!" Tina called as she walked over to him. The doorman had finally stopped looking at him suspiciously now that he was not just simply loitering anymore but waiting for someone.

"Hello!" Newt answered her with a sincerely happy smile. He always seemed to smile around Tina these days. It was a bit unnerving. It was wonderful.

"Ready to go?" Newt simply nodded and together they walked to a little sandwich shop just a few streets down from her place of work.

The shop was mostly empty since the usual lunch hour ended a while ago. They walked up to the counter and ordered their sandwiches as well as coffee for Tina and some tea for Newt before finding their seats at a little table in the corner of a window.

Tina dug into her meal with gusto as soon as she had sat down. Newt chuckled.

"What?" Tina inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing. You look hungry..."

"I haven't had time for anything but coffee and some crackers since breakfast," she took a look at her watch, "eight hours ago." Then she took another hearty bite and Newt smiled in understanding.

The MID had her working on a case that needed thorough international collaboration, lots of meetings to be held, paperwork and correspondance piled up more so than usual. And between all that dreadful communication business she actually still had a job to do, which was investigating leads and follow up on new information. Lots of overtime. Right now, she was a very busy witch. A modern day career-girl indeed. And Newt liked that about her, the determination to achieve her dream of being able to help make the world a better place.

He took a sip from his tea. It was one of the better ones he's had the opportunity to drink while in New York. He didn't know why, but for some reason Americans just couldn't get it right... either serving it too weak or way too strong for anyone to properly enjoy it. This one was surprisingly okay though. _And the sandwich isn't too bad either_ , he concluded after taking a bite from one of the two halfs in front of him. Tina had finished hers already.

Newt looked at her in concern, the way her skin seemed too flat in colour and contrasting strongly with the shadow under her eyes had him worried a little. He moved the plate with the second half of his own sandwich towards Tina. "Eat," he said.

"It's your lunch, Newt. Thanks, but I'm good. Really." _No, you're not,_ he thought. Eight hours was a long time to go on coffee and biscuits alone.

"I'm not very hungry, Tina. Dougal insists on keeping me well fed as you know." He pushed the plate a little further. "So please, eat. One sandwich after eight hours just won't do."

Tina mustered him carefully, then reluctantly took the offered meal and continued eating. Newt nodded in approval.

"You know, maybe I should send Dougal to look after you instead of me," he teased her. "You seem to need it more than I do when you're this busy."

Tina laughed at the idea. "I'm not sure the MID will be pleased to have a magical beast around, especially one that is invisible most of the time and fairly intelligent, too. They're all very concerned about spies these days..."

After what had happened with Graves last year and Grindelwald still being on the lose, that was probably a justified thing to worry about.

The vendour from behind the counter came by to top up on Tina's coffee before disappearing again. They were now quite alone in the shop.

Tina looked out the window in thought, cradling the cup of hot coffee in her hands. She always got a little crease between her eyebrows when she was thinking hard about something. Newt wondered what she was working through in her mind. Just then Tina seemed to return to the present and turned her head to look over at him. She took another sip from her cup before speaking.

"Queenie and Jacob want to go out dancing this weekend."

Newt looked at her in surprise. That was not something he had expected her to think so hard about, her sister going out with Jacob. But he could not help the small hopeful smile that appeared around his lips as he asked "So we'll have time to ourselves again?"

They hadn't been alone together since their dinner in his suitcase at the begining of the week, at least not in private. And he very much wanted to kiss Tina again.

"No, they actually want us to join them. A 'double date' I think she called it." Tina chuckled as Newt's cheek turned an even deeper shade of pink. Of course Queenie would know that things between them had taken a step forward recently... although she had been uncharacteristically quiet about it at dinner last night. _Probably Tina's doing._

A night out dancing. Newt was neither good with crowds nor particularly skilled at dancing, but for Tina he would endure it. Seeing her happy and smiling always would make it worth any discomfort on his part.

"Well... if you would like to go, I'll be there too," he answered her. "Of course I will."

Tina smirked as though she had heard the reasoning inside his head. "I don't think there's much of a choice for either of us. Queenie usually gets what she wants, and she wants to go on an actual double date with us."

Newt chuckled quietly, it was probably true. Being a Legilimens Queenie knew exactly how to manipulate people into doing what she wanted. It was a good thing she was such a gentle and caring person, otherwise it would be a rather terrifying thought.

He also very much liked Tina's use of the word 'us'. The two of them, together.

Were they 'together' now? They had not really spoken about it that night after their kiss, though his words had probably sent a rather clear message of his intentions... _'What I want is to not let you go again.'_ It had been a very bold statement in hindsight, but she also had agreed with him, _'at least for a little while.'_ Newt would gladly take her 'a little while', and every minute more she would be willing to give him. He ardently hoped there were many of those, because the thought of letting her go was not something he was willing to consider at the moment. Or ever.

A warm hand on his startled him from his thoughts.

"Everything alright?" Tina asked with a tinge of worry. "You look like you just got lost in in some very confusing thoughts or something."

"Or something..." He smiled sheepishly and looked at her hand covering his. He slowly turned his own over so the palms of their hands touched. It was a rather intimate thing to do for such a public place, or at least Newt thought so. Where he came from, holding hands in public was still very much frowned upon by the general public.

Tina smiled warmly at him though and squeezed his hand gently. And somehow it just didn't matter what other people thought anymore. They silently finished their drinks, all the while keeping that one point of contact and on occasion smiling at each other over the rims of their cups.

"I have to get back to work," Tina spoke softly after a while.

Oh, right. They were still on Tina's lunchbreak. And sitting in a sandwich shop. Newt had quite forgotten about that, sitting in this little bubble of bliss with Tina. That did not usually happen, he always kept watch on his surroundings. A habit formed and honed while working in the fields and never quite divested of. She really did have the most interesting effects on him...

He squeezed her hand once more with a sad smile before breaking their contact. _Time to return into the real world again._

They left the little shop and walked back to the Woolworth Building, enjoying the last of the afternoon sunlight before heading back indoors.

The doorman guarding the entrance into the magical part of the building watched them intently as they approached and called out to them as soon as they were within hearing distance.

"Miss Goldstein! They expect you on Floor 25!"

"I know, Peters, thank you." She turned towards Newt with a smile to presumably say goodbye, but her smile froze as Peters continued. "You're ten minutes late already, ma'am."

"Dammit! I gotta go, Newt. I'm sorry. Thank you for lunch!" She turned around immediately and hurried inside.

Newt didn't mind, though. His girl was a modern woman of the twentieth century, a very busy witch who loved her job of making the world a better place just as much as he did his own. He'd keep himself busy until Miss Porpentina Goldstein, Auror for the MID of the MACUSA, had the time to become just Tina again.

 

* * *

 

Another Saturday night had come around and Newt Scamander had changed into something a little more fitting for the night out they had planned. He looked at his reflection in the mirror hanging on the door of his wardrobe and found the man staring back at him not entirely foreign... just unfamiliar. Gone were the brown tweed and yellow waistcoat he usually wore, replaced by a somewhat more fashionable dark suit and grey waistcoat and completed with a blue tie that managed to match his coat just so. Pickett was just about to climb into the breast pocket of his new jacket.

"I'm sorry, but you can't come with me today, Pickett." The Bowtruckle protested loudly as Newt tried to pry im from the fabric.

"I can't take you, it's too risky. What of some Muggle sees you?" Pickett wordlessly crawled out of the pocket and under the suitjacket, into the small pocket hidden on the inside.

"Alright, you can come if you promise to stay hidden in there. No peaking your head out where people can see you, got it?" A hum of agreement could be heard from somewhere inside the fabric and Newt shook his head with an amused grin. _Seems like nothing would keep that Bowtruckle from joining me._

He put on his well worn blue coat, climbed out of the case and disapparated...

 

Newt politely knocked on the door of the broom closet he just apparated into, only to be blinded by bright light when Jacob threw it open.

"Hey Newt! Come on out of there, you know there's no need for knocking when you're already in the appartment!" He chuckled merrily and went off again.

"I was just trying to be polite. Announce myself, you know that." It was generally considered very rude to just directly apparate into another wizard's (or in this case Muggle's) dwelling, which is why they had designated the mostly empty broom closet in Jacob's flat as the place to apparate to or from. They did not have this luxury in the small and cramped two-room-flat of the Goldstein sisters, which is why Newt would only apparate there at a previously appointed time so his arrival would be expected. The problem of Mrs. Esposito and her strict house rules still hadn't been resolved, for now they dodged discovery by magically keeping any sounds from getting out of the apartment. It was surprisingly effective, though.

Newt stepped out of the broom closet and made his way to the living room to wait for Jacob who was still getting ready. He would apparate them to the Goldstein flat via side-along, the sisters expected them in about ten minutes.

He looked around the flat his friend now lived in. It came with the bakery, which was just downstairs, and was a distinct improvement from the run-down rooms he used to inhabit when they first met. While being a merry person by default back then, Jacob radiated contentment and happiness these days simply from doing what he loved for a living. Newt very much approved of it and felt just a little pleased knowing he helped his friend getting here.

Their little group would be visiting a muggle establishment of Jacob's choosing tonight, seeing as he shouldn't be seen around the wizarding community. He and Queenie were still having a highly illegal romance by American laws, that so far had thankfully gone unnoticed by the authorities. The strict seperation of magical and muggle worlds had at least one advantage for them in this respect, no one would be on the look out for a witch blending into the ordinary world of a No-Maj.Therefore three wizards and witches visiting a non-magical speakeasy would not be much of a problem, as long as they blended in and kept their wands (and Bowtruckles) where no one would see them.

Jacob finally stepped out of his bedroom and joined Newt in the living room with a huge smile on his face. He let himself fall onto the couch next ot Newt and smirked at him. That kind of smirk did not bode well.

"So... you and Tina, hm? It's finally happening."

_Oh no._ Newt felt his cheeks grow hot instantly and averted his eyes. "Uhm, I don't k-know what you're t-talking about," he declared, though that little stutter did absolutely nothing to reinforce his claims. "N-nothing's happening."

"Oh, come on, Newt," Jacob chuckled. "I'm aware that _something_ 's happened between you two, so cut it out. Don't you trust a friend to know?"

Newt looked at Jacob with a somewhat bewildered expression. "Of course I trust you, it's just that..." He paused for a second to look for the right words. "... in the eyes of others, nothing much has happened so far." And he was not exactly comfortable talking about that what had happened. He felt it was too private a thing to share. But this is what friends did, wasn't it? Talk about important things happening to them? He'd never had friends like that before now, people who actually wanted to know what was going on in his life.

"But it did!" Jacob teased.

He just wouldn't let it go, would he? Newt rolled his eyes at the grinning face of his friend and made a decision.

"Yes, something did happen." He sighed deeply before continuing in a low voice, "I may have told her that I have grown very fond of her... Uhm. We kissed."

His face had grown incredibly hot at this confession and he did not dare look up from the brownish living room carpet for now. Though he couldn't help the little smile that crept up on his face at the simple thought of it.

"Ha! So the two of you are finally together." When Newt eventually did look up he saw an excited Jacob grinning back at him. "No wonder Queenie's been so giggly and over the moon lately. When?"

"Uhm, Monday night. When we had dinner." That little smile had grown into a blissful and happy smirk by now. Newt tried hiding his face behind his hands, because Jacob really did not need to know just how 'giggly and over the moon' he himself became just at the thought of it. But apparently that failed.

"You got it bad for her, huh?"

He looked directly at Jacob now, hands still cradling his head. "You tell me. You're the one with the Legilimens ladyfriend, she must have told you something by now."

Jacob nodded seriously. "Yeah, she did. When are you gonna ask her?"

"What?" Newt was highly alarmed. Jacob couldn't mean what he thought he meant. Queenie wouldn't go and tell that of all things, would she? _Would she?_

"Don't be like that, Newt. Yes, Queenie told me and we've both kept that secret for you... That you wanna marry her, even brought a ring and everything. So, I just wanna know: when are you gonna ask her?"

Newt couldn't believe it. Jacob knew. He huffed in annoyance and stood from the couch to pace about the living room. Queenie had promised him not to talk about what she had seen on his mind, back when she had watched him feeding the Puffskeins down in his suitcase. But now Jacob knew. Who else did she tell?

Even worse, now they both were expecting him to act. He sighed. Tina and him had only just taken a small step forwards and into the intended direction. It would not be the right time for that question anytime soon... if it ever came. Knowing himself, he would completely botch things up at some point not too far in the future and thereby disappoint everyone around him. And himself.

Also, he didn't even know if Tina would even want that, to get married. To him. She was not the kind of person to quit working and become a doting wife and mother, as he knew was somehow still expected from a married woman these days. And it was not what Newt wanted for her either. Tina thrived being busy at work, sitting around a house doing nothing much but menial household chores would not suit her at all.

His hands started rubbing his face again, then moved on to slightly pull the hair at the back of his head all the while still pacing about the living room. He was trying very hard to get the apprehensions and his increasing panic under control again.

This was also something that friends did talk about, wasn't it? Things that troubled them. _Maybe I should give it a try._ It couldn't get much worse for him after all. Newt took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I don't know yet." He stopped his agitated pacing now and looked at Jacob for help. "I don't even know if that is something she wants. I don't know anything really. Apart from the fact that she likes me and seems to enjoy spending time with me." He sighed in frustration and admitted in a defeated voice, "I don't even really know if we are 'finally together' as you just put it. We never talked about it afterwards."

Newt sank down on the armchair conveniently standing behind him, having run out of steam now. His gaze had slipped from his friend onto the carpet underneath Jacob's feet again and he cradled his head in his hands. Putting it into words didn't make Newt feel any better.

'Worrying makes you suffer twice', those words had never been more true. But he couldn't help but worry about what Tina did or did not want with him. So much did depend on it for him.

"Newt, seriously. That girl is head over heels for you." Jacob exclaimed disbelieving. "She may not show it like Queenie does, but it's true. Trust me, my 'ladyfriend' is a Legilimens and happens to be her sister."

That got a small chuckle out of Newt. Yes, the Legilimens sister who couldn't keep quiet about the things she had seen. "What else did she tell you?"

Jacob just shrugged with a smile, but Newt knew the answer without him saying so. "Of course, she told you everything."

"In her defense," Jacob said, "two months is an awfully long time to keep such a thing secret while watching you two taking your sweet time to get there. She had to share it with someone... and her sister was obviously out of question."

Newt nodded. A part of him understood this reasoning very well, but there was also a part of him that felt betrayed. He also didn't feel like talking about this anymore.

"What about you then? Any great plans for Queenie that we should know of?"

Newt winced as soon the words had left his mouth and he remembered their more than complicated situation. It was such an inconsiderate thing to ask, no matter how offended he might feel right now. But Jacob seemed completely unfazed when he answered.

"Of course there are, but it's not like any of them are possible for us what with the Law being as it is." He smiled sadly when Newt looked over to him. "Queenie knows it though, she saw it in my mind of course... I can't actually marry her, but I'm permanently thinking up different scenarios for it to happen," He pointed a finger at his head. "In here we've gotten engaged and married in at least ten different ways by now. And she's seen all of them."

Newt smiled. It was a rather sweet thing to do, making the best out of an impossible situation.

Jacob continued. "So Newt Scamander, you better go through with your own plans at some point. No pressure intended, but at least one of the Goldstein sisters should be made an honest woman."

"You could, though." Newt murmured. "Get married, I mean. The States have the strictest laws in the entire wizarding world regarding relations with muggles... you could go literally anywhere else and marry legally. No more secrets, no more hiding."

Jacob nodded seriously. "Yes, we could. But then we couldn't go back, could we?"

No, they probably couldn't.

"Alright, I think it's time to go soon. Our ladies will be waiting for us." Jacob stood from the couch and chuckled. "I'll give you a minute to get your colour back to normal, eh?" He left the living room for the general direction of his broom closet.

Newt took a deep breath shook his head to clear it. With so many thoughts and emotions swirling in his mind Queenie would have an easy read of him the moment they apparated into their living room. He should better try his hand at some Occlumency tonight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, my writing got a little out of hand here. I did not intend for this to take up the entire chapter...  
> Next chapter we'll have some good times, though. Promise.


	11. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group meets up for their double date. Newt and Tina clarify a few things. There's also some dancing...

"Well, don't you look handsome, Mr. Scamander!" Queenie greeted him when he arrived with Jacob in tow. They had planned to gather in the flat of the Goldstein sisters first, then move on to their intended destination for the night.

"Queenie," Newt politely nodded his head at her and focussed on his efforts in Occlumency while looking around the room for Tina. But she was not with them yet.

"Teenie will be out soon!" she giggled and then turned her attention to Jacob who had moved over to greet her.

Newt tried his best not to note the way the two of them were actually welcoming each other... in an effort to give them some privacy, he turned to look from one of the windows and out over the dark rooftops and into the brightly illuminated network of valleys that New York consisted off from up here. It was a Saturday evening and the streets were quieter than usual. Only a few people were moving about, most of them clearly dressed up for a night out. Soon they would be joining their ranks.

He felt a little nervous. A night out, dinner and dancing. Newt neither liked big crowds of people nor was he particularly good with dancing, especially the new modern dances favoured over here in the States. He hadn't had any interest in furthering his knowledge in that respect from what he had been taught first by his mother, then by an instructor at Hogwarts. He didn't have much need to before. Now though... He only hoped that he could learn quickly from observing the other couples and Tina wouldn't mind his ineptness too much. He didn't want to disappoint her.

When he heard a door being slid open, Newt turned back towards the room. In the entryway of the bedroom (the only other room in the flat, really) stood Tina, fully dressed up for their double date with Queenie and Jacob. And Newt could not help but stare at her appearance. While she had been dressed to kill that time when they had visited Gnarlack at 'The Blind Pig' for information last year, now she was dressed to stun. And stunned he was.

Tina wore a dark blue knee-length dress bedecked with long flowing lines of black beads and sequins that centered in a line down her chest and stomach. The neckline of her dress formed a decent v that accentuated her collarbones just so without being too revealing for her own comfort. Short fluttering sleeves covered her pale shoulders and upper arms in a translucent black fabric and more of those beaded lines. She smiled at him with barely painted rosy lips and dark smoky eyes, a faint blush adorned her cheeks. Wrapped around her head she wore a simple beaded band in the colours of her dress. It was quite a sight to behold.

"Hello Newt. What do you say?" Tina asked coyly and twirled once for him to see her, but Newt was at a complete loss for words. There was quite a bit more of her skin revealed by the neckline in the back. Beautiful skin, pale and unmarred. The temperature in the room had suddenly risen to nearly tropical levels and he wondered why no one but him seemed to be affected by this.

"Oh, he definitely likes it!" Queenie teased after Newt failed to answer in a timely fashion and continued gazing slack-jawed at Tina instead.

Tina's lips smiled just a little wider. And Newt finally remembered to close his mouth, even though his eyes were still locked onto her as she walked into the room with a bit more confidence.

"H-Hello," he said in his awkward way when Tina stood directly before him. "You, uhm. You look nice."

"Thank you," she spoke softly. She gave him his favourite smile, the one that made him feel warm and happy and made her eyes sparkle. He found himself smiling at her in return.

Queenie giggled from somewhere beside them.

"Okay then, are we all ready to go?" Jacob asked loudly, probably a bit uncomfortable by being the only one not somehow involved in this moment.

Tina took hold of his arm now and turned to Jacob and her sister. "I think we are."

And then they disapparated.

 

* * *

 

"Where exactly are we going tonight?" Newt asked when the group emerged from a dark backalley and turned left into a highly populated street. It seemed that his daze at seeing Tina properly dressed up had dissolved with their apparating and he was ready to join their conversation again.

"Just some small restaurant that I know," Jacob answered him. "Queenie and I've been a few times now. They have good food and even better music, and sell a little extra if you know what to ask for." He chuckled.

Newt looked a little confused though and turned to Tina with a questioning look.

"Alcohol, Newt," she explained to him and giggled at his ongoing confusion. "By No-Maj Laws it's forbidden to offer any alcoholic beverages on the menu, to sell or manufacture them. But as Jacob said, most places still sell if you know how to ask and they believe you to be trustworthy."

These laws thankfully did not have any juristiction on wizardkind, though. People would revolt should their Gigglewater be banned by Congress... it was a non-negotiable neccessity for coping with the harsh reality of being a person of magical ability in the United States. Or so Tina was told.

Newt frowned. "That seems quite absurd to me. Why would you forbid people from having a drink?"

"Too many wives complaining about their husbands getting drunk on a daily basis," Jacob chuckled darkly. "And not all of them did so to forget about what they saw during the war..."

He gestured to the right and towards a completely ordinary looking restaurant in No-Maj Manhattan. "Here we are."

They entered through a door not unlike the one to Jacob's bakery, but what awaited them inside was very much different to the bakery. They were greeted by an older gentleman in a battered black suit waiting behind a time-worn wooden stand.

"Good evening, welcome to 'Thornton's'," he spoke in a bored and practiced manner. "How can I help you?"

"We've got reservations under 'Kowalski', party of four." Jacob chuckled and watched the man bow down low over an old dusty book, reading line after line until he found what he was looking for.

"Ah yes, Kowalski. If you'd follow me please."

Their host lead them around an equally time-worn wooden bar, empty of the usually numerous bottles of liquor and displaying posters promoting the No-Maj's Prohibition instead. Not a single alcoholic beverage could be found here, on display or on the tables.

The room held only a few modest tables in front of the windows and along the former bar. It generally looked quite run-down and not too inviting, but there were a few tables where patrons sat happily enjoying a meal. Tina felt a little out of place here with the bedazzled dress she had decided on for tonight. Queenie had told her it would be a good choice for where they were going.

But then they stepped through another door hidden in the back of the room and followed down quite narrow staircase to enter what probably was the actual restaurant. A high room of at least two stories greeted them with a large number of tables, set up for two to eight people, lining three sides of the room. She noticed a staircase to their left leading towards another dining area higher up and overlooking the massive dance floor that occupied the middle of the room. The second floor was held up by unobstrusive pillars that were hidden behind a number of high and exotic looking plants on the ground floor. The wall at the opposite end of the room held a small stage, where a group of musicians was already getting ready to play.

The old man turned around once they had all entered and spoke again in a more friendly and enthusiastic manner. "Welcome to the actual 'Thornton's'!" Then he led them to a small table in a corner on the left wall and brought four menus over for them. "Your waiter will be with you shortly. Enjoy your evening."

Then he was gone again, probably returned to his seat at the restaurant's entrance to devide the expected backroom guests from the spontaneous frontroom dinner patrons.

"What did I tell you?" Queenie whispered to her as they all sat down around the table. She must have read her thoughts of discomfort back in the rather shabby looking restaurant front. Back here though, they fit in perfectly with the dazzling dresses, dark suits and jovial laughter of the other guests. This part of the restaurant was not run-down at all, but sparkling with it's gold and blue decor and the impressive chandelier overhead the dance floor.

"This is quite astounding," Newt said in wonder when he had taken a seat next to her. "How did you find out about this place, Jacob?"

"Oh, you know.... the owner and I go a while back. We served in the forces together, he took over his uncle's restaurant when he came back from Europe and built himself this little jewel."

Just then a waiter in livery arrived at their table and took their orders for drinks and food.

Just after they had finished eating, a tall slender man with an impressive dark moustache walked over to them. "Jacob!" he called still some feet away from their table, which had a few other patrons looking over in curiosity. Tina watched the scene before her attentively.

"Theo!" Jacob exclaimed and got up to greet his friend. The two of them hugged in a way only familiar friends would do, or people who had seen and survived the worst together.

"Guys, this is Theodor Thornton, owner of this amazing establishment!" He made the neccessary introductions. "Theo, this is Tina Goldstein, Queenie's sister. And Newt Scamander, eh... a mutual friend of ours from England. And Queenie you already know, of course." Mr. Thornton nodded politely at Newt and bowed deeply towards herself and Queenie before answering.

"I'm very pleased to meet you. Friends of Jacob's are friends of mine, of course! How are you enjoying your evening so far?"

"It's splendid!" Queenie answered with her sweetest smile. "Thank you arranging a table for us at such short notice, Theo."

"Oh, no worries. Anything to help out an old friend." He grinned at them and continued, "Did he ever tell you the story of how we met? Saved my life in one of the trenches, he did, over there in France." He nodded very earnestly. "Wouldn't be standing here without him."

"Oh, but of course he told them," Queenie chirped. "I insisted, it's such a highly important anecdote!"

Mr. Thornton looked very much pleased at her words. "Well, that's true, at least from my perspective. I'm sorry, but I have to attend to some more business tonight. Make sure this place will stay up and running in the foreseeable future." He winked at them and chuckled. "It was very nice meeting you all. Please, enjoy your evening at 'Thornton's'!" He bowed once again and left.

Jacob and Queenie chuckled, whereas Newt was the very picture of confusion, again.

"Exactly what anecdote were you referring to, Queenie? I've never heard Jacob talk about his time in Europe." Their laughter subsided slowly, and Jacob was the first to answer.

"Theo likes to be the center of attention, Newt. Why else do you think he's swanning about the room every night and greets a few carefully select guests in person?"

"I just saved you fifteen minutes of war talk," Queenie said. "First time I met him, he told me that story himself, since Jacob here apparently neglected to do so, gory details and all." She made a slightly disgusted face.

"Still sorry for that, darlin'," Jacob apologized and took her hand for a kiss.

"Oh, I know, honey." Queenie's smile was disgustingly sweet. Those two were the absolute definition of lovebirds right now. Tina couldn't imagine ever being like this in public with Newt. She also couldn't imagine him being this overly affectionate with her either, but then again he did have an affinity to surprise her in the most interesting ways.

"Now if you don't mind," Jacob spoke as he stood from the table and held his hand out for Queenie to take. "I'll take this one dancing for a bit." She grinned at him excitedly and took his hand.

"Sure, you two have fun!" Tina chuckled. She watched them make their way over to the dance floor where a few couples were already moving to the music played. Newt beside her was watching them intently, as if he would study the social behaviour of a previously undiscovered magical beast. They had been silent for a few minutes after their friends left, and she felt the need to ask.

"You don't dance, Newt, do you?" She didn't really expect him to, with him being as socially awkward as he was and a tendency to avoiding his fellow humans whenever possible. She had been more than a little surprised that he had readily agreed to come here tonight in the first place.

"Uhm, no. Not like that," Newt answered with a faint blush creeping up his cheeks. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he continued. "I know how to do a Walz... One-Step... that kind of thing. It's been a while since those skills were needed, though."

Tina smiled at him. He had surprised her once again. But then, those things were probably taught to all students at Hogwarts if it was anything like Ilvermorny. Dancing was still considered a very important social skill back in their days at school, before the Great War and the changes it brought.

"When was the last time?" she asked him with clear curiosity in her voice.

"Uhm, my brother's wedding a few years back... my mother insisted I dance with her at least once." He chuckled softly and finally turned his fascinatingly green-blue eyes in her direction. "And just like Queenie, my mother is the kind of person who usually gets what she wants." They smiled at each other before Newt turned his focus back towards the couples on the dance floor.

Tina leaned back in her seat with her glass of wine in hand and watched Newt watching the dancing crowd. He seemed so intensely focussed on the way they moved in time to the music, dresses sparkling and legs shaking. She felt a bit of jealousy bubble up inside her.

Here they were, just the two of them alone at a table far off the center of attention, and rather than on her Newt Scamander focussed on studying this peculiar human behaviour called dancing. Not the woman he wanted to kiss not even a week ago. Had kissed, in fact, and gathered in his arms for what felt like hours afterwards.

The misgivings she had discarded in that moment on Monday night, when he had told her of his 'fondness' for her, reappeared with a vengeance. Did he really want the same things she did? Did he want to be with her? Be part of a couple. Or even more. His words that night had sounded like he did, but... _Only one way to find out for sure._

Tina softly cleared her throat and sat up again, bracing her elbows on the table. Emboldened by the glass of wine she had with her dinner and that was followed by a second, as well as Queenie's convenient absence, she dared to voice the questions that riddled her mind again.

"Newt, I know this probably isn't the best place to talk about these things, but I guess it's private enough for now..." There was no one around now with the dancing in full swing. Newt turned to look back at her with surprise, then took a quick suvey of their surroundings and let his gaze settle on her again, or more precisely somewhere on her shoulder. "What do you-?"

"Is this... Do you want this?" she interrupted him before she could rethink her plans. "Us. Together. As a couple, like them. Is that what you want for us?" Tina dreaded his answer. What would she do if the answer was a no? _Go on like before_ , her mind supplied helpfully. But she wasn't sure if she had the strength to do just that.

Newt swallowed heavily and took a steadying breath, then moved to look directly into her eyes before he answered.

"Yes," he whispered. Blue-green orbs met her dark brown ones in an intense gaze. "Yes, that is what I want."

Tina nodded to herself and relief flooded through her. His answer was yes. _Yes._

"What about you, Tina?" he asked hesitantly, as if he too was dreading an answer, and Tina realised that a single nod hat been her only reaction to his words. Words, that probably had not come that easily from him.

"I want that, too."

She saw the stress falling from him the moment he registered her words and their meaning.

"Okay," Newt breathed and a smile replaced the tense expression that had lingered there before.

He placed his hand next to hers on the table, letting their fingers touch hesitantly before he found it right to thread their hands together completely. Just as they had done during her lunchbreak two days ago. It felt wonderful. It felt right. And this time Tina didn't mind that his gaze had wandered back towards the dancers in the room. He was still holding on to her.

 

A little while later, Newt finally had stopped with his observations and then finished off the tumbler of whiskey Jacob had put before him at the beginning of their evening. It was probably a wise choice for him to take his time with that, knowing how much of a lightweight he was in regards to alcohol.

He squeezed her hand gently to get her attention.

"Would you like to dance, Tina?" Newt asked her with a small smile.

"I thought you didn't know how to dance like that?" Tina responded quite confused. He had told her so not too long ago...

"Uhm, I think I know the basics now from observing the other couples, but you might still have to teach me a thing or two." He chuckled nervously, eyes darting from here to there but never staying on her for long.

"Oh! Sure. I'd like to dance with you." Newt smiled at her, then got up from the table and gently pulled her with him since they were still holding hands.

Tina felt very stupid as they walked over onto the dance floor. In her thoughts she had accused Newt of not paying her any attention, even though they were completely alone. And now it turned out his interest in watching the other guests dance was purely for her sake. So he could learn something and ask her to dance with him. So she would not have to sit all night and feel left out.

"Are you alright?" he asked her worriedly when they had reached a less crowded area on the floor. Her irritation at herself must have shown on her face.

"Yes," she answered and moved to face him so they could join in the dancing. "Thank you. For learning. For being you."

Newt smiled at her bashfully and blushed a little. "I hate to see you disappointed, Tina. And being the only woman without an able partner to dance just didn't sit right with me."

His free hand moved around to her back and they started moving to the band, a little hesitant at first, but slowly gaining confidence. They ended up doing a somewhat botched rendition of a Charleston. But only practice made perfect, so they continued dancing for another song, and then another, and another...

 

* * *

 

It was the early hours of the morning when they had finally enough for the night. They finished their drinks, gathered their coats, made their way up a staircase and through the shabby restaurant front back into the outside world. A happily smiling Tina and Newt were walking arm in arm now, as were Jacob and Queenie. They returned to the same backalley the had apparated to and looked around for any witnesses before retrieving their wands out of magically extended purses and pockets. Queenie looked meaningful at Tina for a few seconds before holding Jacob's arm tighter and disapparating.

She knew what that look had meant. Even without it, she would have known that exactly this would happen. It was not the first time, and certainly wouldn't be the last.

Tina threaded her arm back through the crook of Newt's arm and held on to him. "I'll do the honours then," he said with a smile and apparated them into the living room of the Goldstein appartment. The room had gone almost dark in their absense with only the light of a few glowing embers in the fireplace.

"Where are Queenie and Jacob?" Newt wondered when he saw they were alone. "They left just before us."

Tina still stood close to him, hanging on his elbow as she did for the apparition and smiled up at him."They're not gonna come back here tonight, Queenie is spending the night at Jacob's."

Even in the near darkness of the flat she saw Newt blushing at the implications. He closed his eyes and swallowed heavily, which endeared him even more to her. _Who would have thought that one day I'd be the braver person in a relationship?_ She softly placed her free hand on his chest and felt his heart beat furiously underneath the layers of fabric. "You don't have to spend the night, you know. I just thought the we would both enjoy having a little time to ourselves tonight, a bit of privacy."

Newt looked at her again and nodded in understanding. A little of the tension seemed to leave his body.

"Yes, I... I've wanted to kiss you all night. All week, to be honest." The colour was still very high on his cheeks and his gaze had dropped down to her shoulder not daring to meet her eyes. A sign that he was still unsure how his advances would be received by her. _That's not right,_ she thought.

"Then you should kiss me, Newt." Tina whispered with a loving smile. "I'll always want you to kiss me."

He looked at her now, the uncertainty in his eyes slowly transforming into confidence. The confidence that she would not turn him away, that his affections would always be welcome. He closed the distance between them and their lips met in a kiss that had been long awaited by both.

It started out hesitantly just like the last time, gently pressing their lips together once followed by sweet little pecks. And then he let Tina take the lead for a while, showing him what would feel good in a kiss, how to turn his head just so. And Newt was a quick learner.

It wasn't long before he could give just as good as he got, cradling her head with one hand and caressing her lips with his while holding her close with the other hand resting on her waist. And then he opened his lips just a little and hesitantly sought entrance with his tongue...

Tina had unconciously moved her hand from his elbow to his waist a while ago, it clutched the fabric of his suitjacket in astonished surprise as their tongues met for the first time. He took her breath away with his hesitant explorations. And she did not need the air right now.

The hand on his chest moved slowly lower in search for the buttons of his jackett to swiftly undo them. She wanted... no, she needed to be closer to him, to have one less barrier between them. Newt seemed agreeable to this as he moved his arms in an effort to help. Tina brushed the unbuttoned jackett off his shoulders without breaking their intense kiss and it unceremoniously fell into a heap on the floor. She also managed to undo his waistcoat before Newt pulled her in again.

His right arm circled her waist now, holding her close to him while the other gently touched the exposed skin of her back. His lips had moved on from hers and continued caressing her neck. She couldn't help but sigh loudly. It felt utterly delicious.

A soft groan escaped him in response to her sigh and his hands tightened around her as his lips continued wandering.

Her knees went weak as he started sucking at that sensitive point where Tina's neck met her shoulder, they lost their balance and together fell down onto the settee behind them. Newt was half standing, half kneeling over her now, with one knee on the seat beside her thigh and the other leg leaning against the wooden frame of the seat... just between her own. He was breathing heavily as he rested his head on her shoulder, the fall had broken the wonderful touch of his lips to her body.

However, she revelled in feeling him this close to her, being surrounded by him like this. She pulled him closer still, she nuzzled his ear and the side of his neck... anything to keep this intimate contact.

"Tina," he whispered, sighed. The arms that kept his body from crushing hers tensed slightly more. And then his lips were on hers again in a desperate kiss, a hand cupping the side of her head and bodies touching intimately.

She could feel him now. Feel just how much he himself enjoyed their recent activities, a distinct hardness against her hip. And she felt a desperate need growing inside her. _Closer. Closer, please._ Her hands moved on their own, tried to get rid of his waistcoat which landed right on top of his discarded jacket, pushed the suspenders from his shoulders. She had nearly untucked his shirt tails when a hand stopped her frantic tugging.

"Tina, wait." Newt was looking at her now, eyes wide and dark with arousal, partly hidden behind his fringes and lips kiss-swollen and red. He was still breathing heavily and leaning over her. "Not yet. Not... not tonight," he whispered and moved her hands up and away from his shirt, placing a gentle kiss on them before release.

Tina nodded, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and get herself under control again. Newt wanted to stop. So she would stop. She had promised him.

"Can... can we stay like this for a bit?" she asked with eyes still closed. She would not go any further, but she still needed to feel him close to her. And this would be just enough for now.

She felt him nod as he tucked his head against her neck and settled into a more comfortable position. "Yes, we'll stay like this."

Tina wrapped her arms around him once more and sighed with relief. _Thank you._

Newt continued to shower her with small kisses on every bit of exposed skin he could reach with his lips, but the urgency and desperation from moments before were gone now. They both breathed each other in as they lay haphazardly on the settee in the living room until Tina had calmed down once more. Her hands had stopped desperately clutching at Newt some time ago, instead stroking his astonishingly muscled back and shoulders in a soothing rhythm. Soothing to her at least.

"Are you alright?" Newt whispered against her collarbones when her heart had slowed down to a normal steady beat.

"I... think so," Tina whispered back. She didn't know how to explain to him what had just happened to her. She wasn't really sure herself. In her mind there had only been this overwhelmingly desperate need to be close to this man, close and even closer. She had never experienced anything like that.

"Good," was his reply and he moved his head up a little to look at her. A hand smoothed down her mussed hair and tucked a few strands behind her ear. He smiled blissfully.

 

And then Tina felt something brushing up against her calf.

And it was not one of Newt's hands, they were all accounted for within eyesight.

A few moments later, a very displeased Bowtruckle stomped over her thigh and Newt's hip up to his shoulder to have a word with him.

Tina giggled at the dismayed, then alarmed look on Newt's face when Pickett started his rant.

"He's not too pleased being discarded like that," he translated for her with a chuckle. "I believe he'd rather want to stay back in the case next time."

Newt blushed heavily. "I mean... if... there will be a next time."

Tina gently stroked his crimson cheek with her thumb and smiled. "There will be a next time, if you want there to be," she whispered and then kissed him once more before parting.

Pickett was not impressed by this rather peculiar behaviour of his home-tree.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did I say? Good times... hehe.  
> I hope this little piece at the end was still suitable for a 'Teen and Up' rating? I had not thought to turn this into something Mature/Explicit this soon... it might come, though, unless there's strong opposition. 
> 
> Also, I learned how to insert pictures, so here is my inspiration for Tina's dress... imagine it being a dark blue instead of champagne though. I can't help but associate Tina with blue!  
> 


	12. Tales from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina returns home early from an assignment out of state and pays a surprise visit to someone we know...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work just reached 5000 hits! To celebrate this with you, I put the new chapter up a little earlier than usual. (And I totally didn't constantly update the stats-page for the last hour or so and watched it crawl from 4995 to 5000...)  
> Thank you all so much for reading!

It had been a very long ten days for Porpentina Goldstein, Auror with the Magical Investigation Departmant of the Magical Congress of the United States of America. She had been sent to Minnesota to deal with illicit activities from the other side of the border. Prohibited potions and smaller magical pets had been smuggled repeatedly from Canada over Lake Superior into American territory using No-Maj fishing boats for transport. Their non-magical owners had been placed under an Imperius Curse and afterwards only partially been obliviated. It was quite a mess. But somehow they happened to be at the right place at the right time and caught the culprits red-handed. Case closed.

Tina was more than glad to have finished here, paperwork and all, since working around the Canadian border in early November had not been her favourite thing to do. It was cold, it was wet and when it wasn't raining or freezing an unpleasant fog had settled around them. She was more than glad to return back to New York earlier than anticipated, even if the portkey travel always made her feel a little dizzy after arrival. But she hadn't wanted to wait for a train to bring her home.

It was early on a Friday afternoon and she hadn't thought to return until at least some time in the next week. When she opened the door on the topmost floor her appartment was empty, since Queenie was still at work. But she hadn't planned on staying for long anyway. There was someone she wanted to see.

After disposing of her suitcase and freshening up a bit she left the building to walk around the city. The destinaton on her mind was just a few blocks over from where she lived and she welcomed the still relatively warm climate of New York City after spending more than a week in the cold northern parts. Even the sun had come out for a bit today.

She was greeted warmly as Tina entered the small and inconspicuous house and was informed that the person she intended to visit was still in. Bertha always knew the whereabouts of her guests, few as they usually were. And this particular fellow had been staying here for quite a long time now. Tina thanked the witch, walked up the narrow stairs and down a corridor to give two short knocks on the third door on the left before swiftly letting herself in. Newt would be in his case anyway, she knew.

Her customary double-knock on the lid of his suitcase went unanswered, though. _He must be busy with his beasts, then._ So she simply pulled out her wand and opened the case with it, as she had already done a few times before, to climbed down into the wondrous world of Newt Scamander's magical menagerie.

As expected, the little shed that housed his desks and living quarters and served as the general entryway was empty.

"Newt?" she called anyway, but there was no answer.

Tina took off her coat and rolled up the sleeves of her blouse with a content hum. She would probably end up with an armful of Demiguise or Niffler at some point. That annoying little creature had taken a liking to her necklace and pendant and still waited for an opportunity to get his hands on it while she was wasn't looking. And Dougal... well, she still was his favourite human it seemed.

When she opened the door to step outside, Tina discovered him immediately. Newt stood on one of the steps leading up to the Hippogriff's habitat, shirt completely in tatters and covered in blood. Tina was shocked at the completely unexpected sight, but then her instincts kicked in.

"Newt!" she called out and ran towards him, already thinking of ways to help him depending on what the amount of damage was. But he looked over at her and smiled when he heard her voice.

"Oh, hello Tina," he said as Tina came to a halt in front of him. "I didn't expect you down here. When did you come back?"

Tina ignored his ramblings, still intently focussed on his damaged body. "Are you okay?" she asked hurriedly.

Newt looked down at himself, seeming somewhat surprised at the damage himself.

"Oh! I'm quite alright, don't worry." He probed the wound with a finger and winced slightly.

"Let me have a look at that!" Tina demanded with worry clear in her voice. She moved forwards again and carefully opened his shirt (or what was left of it), gently stripping it away from the wound to examine it. There were three long and bloody gashes running across his chest. It looked horrible.

"Like I said, I'm alright." Newt chuckled. Tina shot him a disbelieving glare. How could he be so blasé about this? _Stupid, reckless man_.

"That needs to be cleaned and treated," she told him, completely ignoring his attempts to downplay the injury. "Do you have Dittany somewhere around here? Or Essence of Murtlap?"

Newt looked at her with confusion. Maybe he had hit his head as well, a concussion? Why didn't he answer her simple question?

"Uhm, Essence of Murtlap. On the shelf to the right behind some of the plants." Tina nodded relieved. No concussion, then. Just Newt wondering why someone would want to take care of him.

"It's not neccessary though," he continued, "Really, I'm okay, Tina."

"But I'm not," Tina said harshly. She looked at him, noticed that small encouraging smile that was supposed to convince her he really was okay. It slowly merged into a frown as he studied her. She went to retrieve the Murtlap Essence from the shed, and some supplies to clean his wound before treatment.

Newt had sat on the steps now waiting when she reemerged. Apparently he had come to terms with his fate and accepted that Tina would not stop fussing until he was properly treated. It was for her own sake really, she needed to make sure he was okay after the shock of seeing him so full of blood.

"Do your worst, then," he sighed with a hint of amusement and held the shirt open so she could work freely on him. He hissed in pain when the warm wet flannel she brought made contact with his injuries.

"What happened to you anyway?" Tina asked to fill the silence while she worked.

"Uhm, Ray got a little spooked by a Fwooper flapping a bit to close for his liking. Reared up and beat his wings to get rid of her before I could calm him. I'd say his talons have grown back quite nicely by now." Tina raised an eyebrow at his words. "I got Ray to calm down again not too long after. And the Fwooper is fine, by the way." _And what about you? You didn't even notice, did you?_ But she didn't say anything. "I believe he's sorry for going off like that, vanished back into the forest quite quickly and hasn't come out again."

Once the blood had been cleaned away, she noticed that his wound consisted of nothing more than three rather shallow cuts from the Hippogriff's talons. The extensive bleeding had made it look a lot worse than it was, Newt had been right. Gently she applied some of the healing potion to his cuts and judged her handiwork. The cuts were already looking much better with the Murtlap Essence working on them. Tina felt her panicked worry lessen just a bit. _He'll be okay._

When she had finished her work and put the stopper back into the potion's bottle, Newt put a finger under her chin and gently angled her face up to look at him."Thank you," he spoke with a sincere smile and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Tina smiled back unconsciously.

"You'll need a clean shirt," she murmured, still being in her 'caretaker' state of mind, and walked over to the shed again.  Once inside, she placed the bottle of Murtlap Essence back on its shelf and then opened the hidden door leading to Newt's bedroom. Somewhere inside that big chest of drawers he would probably keep his shirts...

Tina noticed an intricate wooden picture frame sitting on top of it as she looked around. It contained a pencil sketch of herself, smiling at something. Tina grinned, as she studied it. _When did he sketch me?_ , she wondered. She couldn't remember ever seeing him draw, her or anything else really. But the drawing was in the same style as the pictures printed in his book, and those Newt had drawn himself. She sat the frame down again and went about doing what she came here for.

" _Accio_ shirt!" She waved her wand and one of the drawers opened, flinging a crips white shirt in her direction.

She took it back outside for Newt to redress. A question about the picture on his dresser was already on her tongue when she closed the door behind her, but what she saw made her stop in her tracks.

While she was gone, Newt had discarded what was left of his formerly white shirt. He stood with his back to her, draping the remains over the step he had just been siting on. The first thing she noticed was that his body was much more toned than she would have given him credit for.

The second was that it was also riddled with numerous scars. Small scratches from claws and talons, bite marks of varying sizes. The back of his left shoulder was marked by a sizeable burn, she saw.

As he turned back around to face her, she noticed another prominent scar on his torso. A huge angry gash, badly treated or healed, wrapped across his right side from just underneath the shoulderblade and vanished under the waistband of his trousers . Tina stared but slowly moved closer, transfixed by the new sight before her. Newt blushed slightly under her intense gaze and scrutiny.

"Is... is this why you asked me to stop? The other night," she whispered when she stood in front of him again. Her right hand had moved to touch one of the smaller scratches on his upper arm but hesitated. It was not her place to touch him like this, at least not without his consent. She looked up at his face and Newt, who had watched her hesitating in her movement, nodded with permission. Her finger carefuly traced the old scar.

"No, that was not the reason," he said in answer to her question. Newt shivered slightly as Tina's hand moved up to inspect another scar on his other shoulder. This one looked not as old, a slightly bigger scratch than the previous one. He took a deep breath, averting his eyes as he continued. "I stopped you, because I... I didn't want anything to happen that you might... regret in the morning. We both were... not very clear-headed that night. And you were trembling so much, Tina."

She hadn't noticed any trembling on her part, but then there wasn't much besides wanting him closer that she could clearly remember. She caught on to his choice of words, though.

"You... would have stayed the night? If things had been different?" She did not dare look at his face, instead her hand had moved down to a very visible bite mark on the same arm. This one must have hurt by the looks of it.

"I don't know what I would have done," Newt said in a low voice. "I... was not entirely myself, I think. And that scares me a little, to be honest."

Tina nodded, even though she wasn't sure he was able to see her. But she knew what he was referring to, she had felt it too. Neither of them were actually drunk that night, but they had both been lost in a cloudy haze of... Lust? Desire? Need.

It had been a very long while since anyone had come that close to her. And Tina had missed it a little, the feel of a welcome touch on her skin, the promise of more. As for Newt... it had been a new experience for him entirely, if she had understood him correctly that night of their first kiss. Tina would not have regretted anything that could have happened between them that night, but Newt had probably been right to stop them, all the same. The time hadn't been right.

She still glanced at the freckled shoulder in front of her and the prominent bite marks she had been tracing absently while in thought.

"What happened here?" she asked and then looked up at his flushed face again.

"Uhm, that was a Nundu," Newt replied after confirming which scar she was referring to. "It looks worse than it was though... There was a bit of inflammation around the bite, scarred rather more than it should have." Tina raised her eyebrow but didn't say anything as she recalled what Newt had written in his book about them. _Bitten by a Nundu... the beast must have been in a bad state for him to survive that encounter._

"And this?" She took his other hand and pointed at a few punctured scars between his thumb and fingers. She had seen them often before, but never thought to ask him about it.

"A Murtlap bite," he smiled. "No severe reactions, though." They both chuckled, remembering this particular topic as one of their first conversations.

There were a few more bites and scratches from his attempts to rescue injured creatures on his travels, as well as some older scars from his childhood. Being raised around Hippogriffs and being infinitely curious about everything will do that, apparently.

Tina bit her lip and finally moved her hand down to his right side, tracing the slightly raised tissue of the prominent scar there. It felt different than the others, much more cragged and harder to the touch. _I think I might have felt this even through his shirt the other night..._

Newt shivered again at her gentle (and this time quite intimate) touch. She could also see the small hairs on his freckled arms rising, goose bumps forming. "That I got during the war," he volunteered before she could ask.

Tina looked at him in surprise. "You fought in the war?" She hadn't even thought of that possibility. She herself had still been a student during the Great War, had only graduated from Ilvermorny the year after it ended, in 1919. But Newt was four years older than her, and a man. Of course he would have been called on to fight for his country.

"Do you really want to know that?" he asked with his voice full of doubt.

"Yes," she answered him without doubt. "I want to know about what happened to you, before I met you. After. If you want to tell me, that is."

Newt studied her for a short while, frowning in thought, and then nodded in acquiscence. The mood around them had changed. He took the clean shirt from Tina's left hand and silently put it on. She belatedly realised that she had never offered it to him, too wrapped up in the new pieces of information she got from him.

He threw his destroyed old shirt somewhere to the side and sat down on the steps again, patting the space beside him for her to sit down on. It took him a while to start talking, though, probably figuring out where to begin and what to tell her. He stared out over the magical world he called his home now, clasping his hands in front of him as he began.

"I didn't actually fight myself, at least not in combat. I worked with dragons at the Eastern Front. Training them or freeing them, depending on which side they belonged to." He hesitated again, then turned to look at Tina.

"You saw the burn on my shoulder?" Tina nodded. "A Ukrainian Ironbelly I was in charge of. That must have been sometime in late '16 or early '17, got just a bit closer to her than I should have." He chuckled sadly. "I may have been a bit naive and overconfident back then, barely out of school as I was." He shook his head at his own foolishness. Then turned serious again and continued to stare at his hands.

"The nasty scar across my side was... a Hungarian Horntail. I tried to free her from the opposing side. That was just before the end in '18... it actually was as bad as it looks." He stopped, staring off into the distance again and wringing his hands.

"What happened?" Tina gently inquired to stop him from getting lost completely in those awful memories. She saw clearly that Newt did not enjoy talking about his time at the Eastern Front, but he had decided to tell her all the same.

"We were preparing our beasts for a last offence, the one that was meant to defeat the other side once and for all. My brother was supposed to lead it." He paused again, but continued without her prompting. "There was a rumor going around in the camp... that the enemy had a number of Horntails to be hexed into an absolute frenzy, ready to destroy whatever came their way. I was sent as part of a unit to 'investigate and disable'." He made a face at the choice of words.

"Needless to say, we located them, hidden not far from the intended site to engage in combat the next day. Three Horntails. They are a pretty dangerous breed on a good day, you see, but tormented as they already were..." He shook his head. "I don't even know how we actually managed to calm and release the first two dragons. That last one was rather more unpleasant then the rest of them, though, she had an egg to protect." He swallowed, then took a deep breath.

"I got hit by her tail when I moved too close to the nest. An accident, we didn't see it in the dark of the night and with hexes and curses being cast our way." His gaze dropped to his hands as he carried on. "It was bad, they had done something to the horns on her tail... The bleeding just wouldn't stop and the wound felt far worse than just being on fire. Mallory brought me back to the healers when I passed out... barely in time, they said." He cleared his throat and shook his head before he continued. "They told me later that the others managed to calm and relocate that last dragon too and my brother's charge against the enemy had been very successful because those Dragons had been their main offense plan. The war at the Eastern Front was over when I woke up again, days later." 

"So... it was in part thanks to you that the war was over," Tina said with honest admiration. 

But Newt shook his head in the negative. "No, thanks to my brother," he said. "I was just the one who got almost killed by a dragon," he added. And she knew that he believed it to be true. That he was less of a war hero for receiving that injury and missing the final charge. _Not to me,_ Tina thought. 

"It took over two months for that wound to finally start healing, that's why it looks as, uhm, _unpleasant_ as it does," he finished his account, hands carding through his reddish hair in a wrought up gesture.

"Well, I don't think those scratches from today will leave any lastings marks on you," Tina tried to lift the mood, and failed. Newt only nodded absently at her words but didn't say anything else. He was staring off into the distance again, withdrawn and clearly lost in thoughts.

Tina couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for him out there in the war zone. Newt was a fundamentally peaceful person, only mindless cruelty and fear for the lives of those (creatures?) he loved had gotten any severe reactions out of him in all the time she knew him. She simply didn't see him training beasts, dragons or other, to kill other people. Not even if those people were trying to do the exact same thing to him. 

"Would you tell me something, please?" Newt softly requested after a while. Tina almost didn't hear him.

"Sure. What would you like to hear?"

"Anything, just... Tell me something about yourself. Please."

She thought about something new she could tell him, but came up empty. "You know most things about me already, you know? My private life is usually quite uneventful, boring even. Nothing much happened," she told him, and then added in a softer voice, "at least before I met you."

Newt tried to smile. "Tell me anyway, please. Hearing your voice helps... I think."

"Okay." She couldn't say no to that. "Well, I could tell you a few things about that case up in Minnesota, if you'd like?" He nodded. So she told him a lighter version of what had taken her out of the city, the part she had in catching the bad guys there. More than she usually would have shared, just to keep talking for him.

"The worst thing was that I knew one of the guys we arrested. He was in my house at Ilvermorny, a fellow Thunderbird. Two years older than me. And now he is a criminal." She fell silent.

"It's not your fault, these things happen." Newt seemed a little less withdrawn now. "Would you tell me about your time at Ilvermorny? I don't think you ever did."

"Well, there's not much to tell either, you know?" She thought for a moment, summing up a life of boring routines. "I didn't have too many friends at school, never was the most popular girl around... They thought me too determined, too grown up for her age. In my first year I was always worried about Queenie, she still lived with a distant aunt. Neither of us really liked her but it was better than any orphanage, we were told. She joined me at school in my second year, a different house though, and after that I always kinda took care of her like before..." She chuckled.

"Ilvermorny was not exactly an easy place for Queenie to be at, you know? So many people and so many thoughts. She always used to get into trouble because of it, blurting out other people's secrets. And once she had that under control, she starting getting into other kinds of trouble... I can't even remember how many times I had to cover for her because she was not in her dorm room at night..." She shook her head at the memories. "Queenie was always the beauty of her year, and she definitely never wanted for company."

"And what about you?" Newt asked with barely hidden curiosity. 

"I was certainly not the beauty of my year!" She laughed at the notion. "The sensible older sister, though, that I was. Problemsolver. Focussed on school and keeping Queenie somewhat in check. Always working hard to become an Auror. I always wanted to help people wherever I could." Obviously she hadn't changed much since then.

Newt softly chuckled. "That... is not what I meant." His cheeks were turning crimson and startled Tina realized what he had been asking her.

"Oh." Tina suddenly became hesitant in her narration and started fidgeting on the sleeve of her blouse. This was not something she liked to talk about, at all. Of course things were less strict these days, it was the '20ies after all, but something inside her still felt very hesitant talking about her 'past' with Newt of all people. He didn't strike her as one of those overly conservative types, that was not it at all. But what if he didn't like what she had to say? _What if he doesn't want me any longer?_ Unlike him she was not exactly innocent anymore. He deserved to know the truth of course, but...

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she started speaking, battling down her own doubts and fears to get it out of the way.

"There was... someone. In my last year at Ilvermorny." She cleared her throat. "He was in a different house and had apparently fancied me for quite a while, or so I was told. A mutual friend introduced us, he asked me out not long after term started." She swallowed heavily. "I was sure that... that he was serious about me, all those months we were together. Otherwise I wouldn't have..." _Agreed to do what I did with him._ But she couldn't say it. Not out loud.

"It didn't last past graduation," she finished quickly and started fidgeting with her sleeves again. 

After that particular incident she had been more than careful with her heart, concentrated on her work and providing a living for Queenie and herself. That is, until she happened upon an awkwardly shy magizoologist from England and his escaped Niffler. The man whose judgement she tensely awaited now.

"Tina," Newt spoke softly. She watched as he took her hand in his but would not look at him. "Please stop worrying? I don't mind, you know. At all." 

Was that his answer to everything she had told him? To what she had left unsaid? She hoped it was. She really did.

"Actually," he continued, "I'm rather glad at least one of us knows what they're doing..." After those shyly uttered words she just had to look over at him and discovered that Newt's face had turned an even brighter crimson. He was staring at his feet again, the way he did when very much embarrassed. She couldn't help but form a smile and gently squeeze his hand.

Sudden relieve swept over her as the meaning of his words sank in. He didn't mind her past, didn't want to end whatever they had. She scolded herself inwardly. Of course he wouldn't. This was Newt she was thinking about, the most extraordinary and most unconventional wizard she had ever come to know. He was not like others. And he still wanted to be with her.

Newt squeezed her hand back, then cleared his throat and added softly: "You should know, I... I wouldn't do that to you. Just leave and... Break your heart, I mean. I could never do that to you." 

And his voice was so full of honesty that Tina felt tears well up in her eyes. She hadn't even told him about that part of it all. The complete and utter heartbreak that came with being discarded like that. Not being wanted after all. Being used. It had been an awful few months, for Queenie and herself. _How does he know me so well?_

Newt noticed her tears, too. Wordlessly, he put his arms around her and wrapped her in a warm hug, her tears silently spilling out onto his shoulder, the new clean shirt she had brought him.

"I'll try my best to never do that to you," he whispered in a promise.

And overcome with emotion as she was, wrapped up in this wonderful man Tina only had a single thought on her mind. _I love you, Newt Scamander._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, another 'heavy' chapter done. Thoughts?  
> The upcoming few updates will be more on the upbeat side, I think. Lots of fluff and fun and some important stuff happening, too. And the next new chapter is to come in the new year!
> 
> Edit: I changed a few of the dates around be a year. Did my math a bit wrong concerning the graduation dates for the both of them ;)


	13. Dates and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina go on another date and he comes to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!

It was about a week later that Newt and Tina found themselves once more dressed to go out. This time it would be just the two of them, though. A date, to put it in American terms. But nothing as fancy as their night out at Thornton's.

They were to see a theatrical production on Wizarding Broadway at Tina's insistance. _"Big Foot's Last Stand"_ it was named, if Newt recalled correctly, and apparently it was quite the popular play. Tina considered it a shame he hadn't been to see it yet after being in the city for so long now. And so their date had been planned. They couldn't spend all of their time together in the confines of his suitcase after all, no matter how good an idea that appeared to be for him.

Tina had foregone any bedazzled dress choices this time, probably since their show was on a Sunday afternoon instead of a Saturday night. She wore a longsleeved grey dress with a silvery lace layered down the front and some sashes to the side of the skirt. Simple and elegant. But Newt was stunned nonetheless as he met her in the Goldstein flat... he always was when Tina decided not to wear her usual combination of trousers and a blouse but made an effort just for seeing him. He too had changed from his normal everyday clothes again, it was a 'date' after all.

The play was... quite something. It involved magical creatures called Sasquatches standing up for their rights and actually winning out against the Wizarding Government for once. Quite a novum, since usually Wizardkind always triumphed in their dealings with beasts, beings or spirits. And it turned out all this was based on a written account of real events, too.

Newt made a mental note to go and research those creatures. He hadn't encountered this particular species yet, but they seemed rather fascinating if their on-stage portrayal was anything to go by. His search for information concerning Obscurials and Obscuri hadn't yielded anything new yet anyway, and Tina had offered to lend him the book this play had been based on, just to start him off.

Since it was an early show that they had attended, the both of them went to dinner afterwards. It was already dark out as Tina led them to a wizarding restaurant not far from the theatre. Her favourite, she had told him as they entered.

"See, I told you that you'd enjoy the play," Tina said when they had been placed at a table for two by a fairly unfriendly looking Goblin.

She was right and Newt nodded in agreement. "Well, I can't say the plays I've had to endure in London were anything like this. Most certainly not in choice of topic." To this day anything Shakespeare still had him cringe with the memories. It had been very popular material for the Wizarding Theatre Community in Britain back then...

Tina smiled. "I take it you've been dragged to theatre by your parents? I can't really imagine you joining those crowds on your own at any point in life."

"Quite so," Newt chuckled, then continued explaining. "It was very important to my father to spend at least part of The Season in London, 'mingle with important people' and the like... My mother hated it just as much as I did, though, so we usually cut our time there short and returned home to take care of her Hippogriffs instead. There only was so much time for that during my summer holidays." His brother Thesseus had stayed of course, he had always come more after their father, in appearance and his ambitions.

Tina chuckled softly. "Of course you would hate it, Newt. Big cities don't suit you too much, do they? I'm... surprised you could stand it this long here in New York." There was a small moment of pause in which Newt tried to decipher the expression on Tina's face, but failed. Something between worry and... hope? It left him rather confused.

"Well, I have good reasons to stay," he finally murmured with a meaningful smile at Tina. She had to know by now that it was because of her he was here. He had all but told her.

Just then another Goblin waiter aprroched their table to take their orders. This one was just a little more friendly than the one that had seated them, probably because he knew Tina from previous visits with her sister and did not find her as dismissive as other wizards or witches could be towards his kind. Newt wondered fleetingly whose idea it had been to employ Goblins only for the service in this restaurant.

Their dinner went by relatively uneventful, but with lots of giggling, chuckling and laughter (no Gigglewater involved, though) and more talking of course. The soup was good, the main course even better. Newt did pass on a dessert, though Tina enjoyed an apparently quite delicious chocolate mousse and cranberries. The sounds she made in delight at the sugary treat had him squirming a little in his seat... they reminded him of another situation entirely. And Newt was very glad that Queenie was not around to read his thoughts in that moment.

After their dinner they disapparated back to Tina's flat directly from the small sidewalk the restaurant led out to. They were in a more secluded wizarding part of New York here, even though it could hold no candle to London's Diagon Alley.

American wizards had learned the hard way to blend in with their No-Maj surroundings and did so even when there were none of them around. No magical goods on display in the few shops they had passed on their way to the restaurant or any magical advertisements, it all looked very muggle-like in comparison. Newt wondered briefly what Diagon Alley would be like for someone born and raised in this kind of wizarding environment. He smiled, _I just might find out some day._

As they had disapparated from the other side of town, they were alone in the Goldstein flat once more. After a lovely dinner and an enjoyable evening out. Newt couldn't help but remember what had happened the last time this had occurred as they took their coats off. And how he did not want a complete repeat of that night. There were things that had to be talked about before... well, losing themselves like that again. He cleared his throat.

"Tina, there's-" he spoke in a soft voice to the witch beside him, but she stopped him from even beginning what he wanted to say.

"Would you like some cocoa?" she asked. "Or tea? I could make us some tea. Yes, that sounds good." Newt watched her silently, caught a bit off guard by her reactions. She was rambling, muttering quietly to herself as she went about preparing some tea with her back turned towards him now.

It seemed that Tina too had recollected what had happened the last time they were returning from a date. And she seemed to be even more uneasy about it then he did, keeping herself busy with making tea that no one had asked for or even agreed to drink. He hadn't seen her this... flustered yet, at least not without there being topics of heavy and sensitive nature disclosed between them. He thought it better to not interrupt her for now and keep his distance.

When two cups of hot liquid were floating over towards the small dining table though, Newt deemed it safe enough to approach her again.

"Tina," he started again to get her attention when he stood just a few steps beside her. She didn't look at him, though, concentrating on the kettle before her and fidgeting with it. So he approached her further and gently cupped her cheek with a hand, tilting her face just a little so she would see him.

"There're no plans to do anything," she informed him hurriedly, still not looking at his face. She was blushing, he saw, seemingly embarrassed by the situation. _But whatever for?_   "I didn't think we'd be alone again when coming here. Queenie was supposed to be home, but she's... not." She faltered.

Newt frowned for a moment but then he understood. Tina wanted to make sure he knew there were no further (more intimate) plans for tonight, no repeat of their last encounter expected. At least he thought she did.

In a soft voice he tried to reassure her. "I really don't mind being alone with you, Tina. Or... even a repeat of what happened the last time here." He felt a blush of his own creeping up his face as he continued, concentrating his gaze on the curve of her neck rather then looking at her face now. "Just, uhm... m-maybe we could keep it at that... for now? The kissing and, uhm... being close. I liked that." His voice had turned into a whisper by now as he added "I... didn't mind what you were doing just before we stopped, but uhm, maybe we're not entirely there yet."

He chanced to look up at her again after finishing his little speech and saw Tina looking back at him, searching his eyes for something. Then she nodded. "I... okay. That's... okay with me, Newt."

And Newt nodded too. "Th-thank you. We... we don't have to do even that right now if you'd prefer, though?"

Tina shook her head with a small smile and touched her hand to the one Newt had still placed on her cheek. "No, I... I liked it too. It's just-" She paused a moment to think, then took a deep breath and continued. "I don't know what happened that night, Newt. With me. It all felt wonderful and then suddenly..."

"... it didn't?" Newt asked when she didn't finish.

Tina shook her head no. "Not that. There was such a... such an overwhelming need to have you closer. Feel you and... touch you and I guess that was... too much of good. I don't know."

Newt nodded in understandung, then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her a little closer to him, breathing in the wonderful flowery smell of her.

"This okay, then?" he asked her, though. Just to make sure.

"Yes," she chuckled against his chest, then sighed contentedly. "I don't want that to happen again, things being too much. Not for you, not for me." Newt had to agree with her on that. He didn't want that to happen either, which is why he asked to keep their intimacies at a certain level for now. Nothing too good ever came from rushing... and he wanted to do this right for both their sakes.

He could feel one of Tina's hands slowly stroking over his back now, back and forth over the dark material of his suitjacket as she leaned against him. "We, uhm.. we could take that jacket off if you like," Newt suggested carefully. Between Tina's warm body and the roaring fire not too far behind him he did feel rather a bit warm wearing it. "Pickett decided to stay back in the case, so there will be no angry Bowtruckles tonight," he added with an embarrassed chuckle.

Tina smirked at him now. "Did you turn out to be an unsuitable home-tree for him, now?"

"Not yet, but he did realise that his home-tree is in need of a bit of privacy from time to time..." Tina's hands had found the buttons of his jacket now and opened them slowly one by one. He felt a little more comfortable once he had taken it off and pulled Tina against him once more, both arms losely wrapped around her waist. He sighed in contentment. Newt still very much enjoyed this, just holding her close to him in a soft embrace. And he felt that nothing could change that.

"Do you think there might be some kissing tonight?" Tina asked him cheekily after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Newt chuckled, feeling a little cheeky himself. "Er, possibly? I'll have to kiss you goodnight at some point, you see." He leaned softly against her forehead and continued more serious. "Let's take our time, though. It's still quite early, after all." And it was, barely eight o'clock when they had left the restaurant.

He tucked a strand of soft hair behind her ear. She had grown it a little longer in the past weeks, reaching just below her chin in soft dark waves now. He quite liked it this way, but Tina would probably cut it back to a more practical length some time soon. Another strand wrapped itself around his finger as he continued playing with it.

"I'd have liked you to kiss me, you know," Tina said with a smile at his gesture, "the first time you did this while saying goodbye at the docks."

Newt hummed in agreement. "I know... but I couldn't do that yet." In fact, he had been quite terrified about the way he felt himself drawn to her already... They had known eath other for barely a week, then, and for two of those days he was deeply asleep after being cursed.  They were slowly swaying together now in time to a music only they could hear, and lost in their own little bubble of bliss.

"You promised to come back, instead," Tina continued.

"And I did," Newt replied softly. She nodded against him. "And some time later I kissed you, too." She smiled. "And we danced." She nodded again with a smile. "And we had dinner... so many dinners!" She chuckled now.

"Don't forget the lunches," she added. Yes, they had had those too. "No breakfasts, though," she continued with a mildly disappointed voice.

"Those will come too, I'm sure," Newt replied with a smile. If he got his way, there would be a lot of those in the future... shared breakfasts, shared beds, shared lives.

Tina giggled and he loved the sound of it. Whenever she laughed, giggled, chuckled that warmth residing inside his chest grew just a little more, expanded beyond his heart and filled him completely.

"I think I'd like to kiss you now," Newt said with a smile, radiating with this warmth inside him. But he waited for an agreeing smile from her before finally bringing their lips together. He had learned a great deal about how to do this since that first tentative attempt on a dark meadow in his suitcase, felt more confident about himself, about this being welcome. And it felt like a natural thing to do.

Tina grasped at his waist again, one hand firmly clutching at his waistcoat while the other one glided up and down his side. He had carded a hand into her hair, cradling the back of her head as he kissed her. Her hands tightened on him when he moved on to mouth softly at her neck, kissing and gently nipping at the beautiful pale column she offered him. She really did enjoy that, sighing softly against him, and therefore so did he. But before anything could get out of hand, Tina moved his head and put her lips back on his in a searing kiss.

They did not stay there for long though, as Newt suddenly found himself being explored by her in a similar fashion. He swallowed heavily at the wonderful feeling of her lips on his skin, kissing slowly up and down the side of his neck. They hadn't tried this last time. He might have lost himself completely if they had.

As Tina's lips brushed across his ear in exploration, his eyes closed inadvertently and a low moan escaped him. _Oh please, do that again!_ She did. One of her hands was fumbling blindly with his bowtie now, trying to expose more of his neck as she continued her ministrations on his skin and held him close with the other. Then it carded through the hair at the back of his neck, gently scratching and stroking along its way, and her lips had found his ear again. And he was lost.

Newt had forgotten all sense of time or being, all he wanted was for these glorious sensations to never stop. His hand had flown to Tina's head, trying to keep it just where he wanted her to remain, to continue. But it didn't help. It didn't take long until they were gone again. Her hands, her lips, that lovely feeling. Gone. Only a pleasantly tingly sensation low inside his body remained, demanding for more.

"Newt?" Tina's voice. It took him a moment to return to himself again and form an answer.

"Sorry," he whispered, though he had no idea what he was even apologizing for. They were still standing in the living room of Tina's flat, although Newt was more clinging to her than holding her now with his head resting on her shoulder. He closed his eyes again and swallowed heavily through his laboured breath.

"I should be the one apologizing. I think that was just barely this side of too much for you, Newt. Sorry." She didn't let go of him, though.

"I'm fine," he protested, taking another deep breath. He really hadn't wanted her to stop whatever she was doing to him... it was all a bit hazy in his mind. "Why did you stop?" he asked without intending to, face heating up even more at acting this brazenly.

Tina chuckled softly and stroked a hand through his hair (which did feel rather nice). "We're taking our time, remember?"

He did. And she was right. Newt nodded againt her neck, still breathing heavily. "That was... that was good, though," he stammered. And 'good' didn't even begin to cover it.

Tina smiled as she moved to lean her forehead against his once more. "Yes, it was."

And it was all they would be doing for tonight, her voice implied. Right now, Newt was okay with that.

 

* * *

 

Tina tried to get some sleep. For an hour now she had been lying in her bed, trying to get into a comfortable position and not finding it, mind racing with lightning speed from one though to another without stopping long enough to even start pondering.

Newt had left the appartment some time around midnight, after a few more kisses (though decidedly less heated) and finally another cup of tea (the first one having grown cold and undrinkable during their prior activities). Their date had been great. He had enjoyed the play just as she thought he would, dinner was lovely and lively with talking about just about anything under the sun, and after that little hiccup of surprisingly finding themselves alone again it still managed to become a great evening, too.

Tina had been quite surprised to discover just how sensitive Newt was to attentions around his ears... just a few light kisses there had turned him into a keening mess, losing all coherency within seconds. It was so unexpected. And so enticing. She had been so very tempted to try and find out just how far this could take him.

But then she had also remembered that they were 'not entirely there yet', meaning that it was most likely Newt himself who was not okay to go much further yet.

And so she had stopped again. Much to his disappointment.

She grinned to herself in the dark. It had felt pleasantly... appealing to have this small amount of power over him. She resolved to use it responsibly and only in little doses, though. It wouldn't be right to overwhelm him like that again, it had taken him quite a while to come back to himself afterwards.

But the image of it wouldn't leave her mind, replaying the memory of him in all vivid details over and over again. It really didn't help with the sleep situation, either. And she had to get up early for work. So after another while of tossing and turning (and remembering the sounds he had made) she finally got up and headed to the cabinet in the living room, thankful that Queenie was still out of the house.

 _A small dose of Sleeping Draught should do it,_ she thought while mixing it into a glass of water. A deep and more importantly _dreamless_ sleep was what she needed right now.

 

* * *

 

Another night some days later, Newt was carefully tending to the Grindylows when Dougal came to find him and tried to insistently drag him off to somewhere.

"Please not now, Dougal," Newt spoke to the Demiguise as he was working with the not too friendly water creatures. "Give me five minutes and I'll be with you, okay? Can it wait that long?"

He seemed a little tense, but nodded in answer to Newt's question and ran off again. Whatever happened could wait for at least five minutes then, otherwise the Demiguise would have made more of an effort to convince him otherwise.

Newt quickly finished renewing the last of the spellwork around the Grindylow habitat and threw them some algae to apologize for the intrusion, then followed the path on which Dougal had run off into the distance.

As he approched the center of his suitcase world, he noticed that Tina sat on the steps leading up to his shed, clinging to the Demiguise sitting on her lap. She was stroking through his fur in a rhythm he had learned to be soothing to her and stared off into nothing. Worry flooded Newt at this behaviour and the fact that she had come by unannounced as late as this. It was close to midnight. _Something must have happened._

"Tina," he said carefully as he approached her. She looked up at him with tired eyes when she heard him speak.

"Newt," she greeted him with a smile, or at least she tried to. The smile came out as more of a grimace. Something had definitely happened.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern as he moved to crouch next to her, the steps being to narrow for him to sit. _Stupid question,_ he chided himself. He could see she was not, but how else was he supposed to get her talking. "How long have you been here?" She usually came to find him straight away upon entering the case, but she looked like she had been sitting here for a while already.

"Not long... fifteen minutes, maybe. I didn't want to disturb you while working with the Grindylows," she answered, at least one of his questions.

Dougal must have found her then, while she waited for him to finish. But Tina was not usually so reserved in joining him, nasty Grindylows or not.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, just... not a good day."

Newt nodded. He'd thought as much. "Do you... want to talk about it? Or come and help out with the creatures?"

Tina shook her head. "Thanks, but I'd rather just stay right here for a bit if you don't mind. Dougal will be happy to keep me company, I'm sure."

He nodded. "Okay then. I'll be over there with the Puffskeins and the Murtlap afterwards, if you change your mind." He kissed her forehead in a loving gesture and then left Tina to herself again. Distraction by work usually was a good way to help her out after a bad day, but apparently not tonight. Neither Puffskeins nor Murtlap needed much attention tonight, but he wanted to be somewhere where he could keep an eye on her. Every so often he saw her watching him too.

The Murtlap was already asleep when he went over to his nest. So he continued with a quick round through the case, making sure everyone was happy for the night, before returning to Tina again.

Dougal had fallen asleep in her lap while he was gone.

"I'll just put him to bed," Newt whispered to Tina and carefully extracted the Demiguise from her arms. He felt her watch him all the way to the bamboo forest and Dougal's nest, though she was looking elsewhere when he made his way back.

"Come on, let's get inside. Have a cup of tea and... talk?"

Tina simply nodded and followed him inside, through the workspace and into the small living space on the other side of the narrow ladder. Newt prepared them both a cup of tea while Tina had taken a seat across his bed, resting her head againt the backwall. He belatedly noticed that the only chair in this room had been used as storage space for some quite heavy books that were stacked precariously with papers and quills stuck between them.

Tina looked at him with a little amusement as he realised the state of things and patted the space next to her on the bed. He handed her the steaming cup first before sitting down as well. They drank from their hot beverages in silence. Tina would talk to him eventuelly, he knew.

"I had to deliver some very bad news today," she finally told him after her cup had been almost emptied. "Something went wrong in the field today. We were ambushed, duelled with a group of fanatics... Henley didn't make it and Graves asked me to come with him to notify the family." She took another sip of her tea and continued to stare at the wall opposite.

"I'm so sorry, Tina." Losing a colleague couldn't have been easy on her, compassionate as she was underneath the prickly exterior. Newt pulled her into a comforting embrace and Tina almost melted against his chest in relief.

"I saw him fall," she continued after a while in a whisper so low he almost didn't hear her. "He simply collapsed after a number of curses had hit him. Just... just like you did, last year. I... I had to come and see you tonight." _Oh._

"I'm fine, Tina," Newt spoke in a reassuring voice. "I'm here and I'm fine." _It wasn't me._

She nodded against him but didn't say anything more. Newt pulled her a little closer and stroked her hair, her back in her soothing rhythm as she clung to him with her head right over his chest. Over his heart. He hadn't known that his collapse after the duel with Grindelwald did have such an impact on her.

They hadn't...well, they hadn't exactly been close yet back then. And yet the memory of it had affected her so greatly today. So much that she needed to see him as soon as possible. Be close and listen to his heartbeat for a while. Just being held close like this had visibly relaxed Tina already, she seemed less tense and was rather close to falling asleep with the exhaustion of the day, now.

Newt let her do just that.

He knew that he was in love with Tina, and had been for a time. This endlessly fascinating witch from New York, the most magical creature he had ever encountered in his travels. So full of opposites, that seemed to complete each other perfectly though.

She was an Auror. Tough, confident and ready to stand and defend what she believed to be right. But also a nurturer with a warm and caring heart, full of compassion.

She was a strong woman. Hardworking and ambitious in her job to help and protect those who needed it. But also so much more vulnerable than her tough outer shell led on.

And she had come to trust him with this vulnerability, relying on him and his company to make things better after a bad day. Like tonight. It was a great honour and a great responsibility. And one he gladly took on.

Newt Scamander would do anything in his power to see to this woman's happiness, be it a night of dancing and kissing or holding her close in comfort and let her sleep off the effects of a bad day... whatever she needed, he would try his best to offer it to her.

He had started with his heart. He knew that there was no one else for him, never had been and never would be. And he wanted her to know this, to make his intentions towards her clear after everything that she had told him about her past (or rather left unsaid). He wanted to give her his life, too.There was no one else he would rather like to spend it with.

And he felt that the time to offer it to her would be right, soon. 

Tina was deeply asleep in his arms by now. But neither of them would have a good nights rest if they stayed in their current positions. He gently laid her down on his bed and put a spare blanket over her to keep her warm, then left the room with a good-night kiss placed on her forehead.

There was a hammock stowed away somewhere, that he put up just above his crowded workspace with the help of his wand. _Not as comfortable as the bed but it will do,_ he thought as he went to sleep with a new decision made.

 

The next morning he woke up to find a simple note placed on his freshly made bed. _'Thank you'_ it said in Tina's neat handwriting and Newt smiled. She was off again to make this world a better place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that was only supposed to be a small part and got totally out of hand while working on it.  
> At this rate, I'll have written a novel when this is done >.<
> 
> An inspiration for Tina's simpler afternoon dress:  
> 
> 
> I hope this was still somewhat in character... I started watching 'The Pillars of the Earth' and I fear that Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Jack Jackson might just take over the Newt Scamander in my head.


	14. Letters from England

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of letters Newt received from England while he stayed in New York... and what happened around the time he got them.

September 21st 1927:

Newt had just arrived back from a Wednesday night dinner with his friends.

"Ah, Mr. Scamander," Bertha called from behind the counter. She was the owner of 'The Cat's Cradle', the boarding-house he was rooming in, a stout and cordial witch with a no-nonsense attitude. He liked her. "There's a letter from England for you. Came in this afternoon just after you left."

He had been out again to try and catch the escaped Billywig that still roamed New York. This time he was actually successful with his trap and secured it back into his suitcase. The little guy hadn't looked too happy about being back, though.

The witch handed him a thin yellowish parchment envelope with a familiar handwriting on it. Mail from his publisher.

"Thank you, Bertha," he spoke and turned towards the stairs that led up to the rooms.

"Good night, Mr. Scamander!" she called after him with an disaproving tone. Of course, where had his manners gone tonight? He walked back the two steps had had managed to go and returned the formality.

"Good night, Bertha. I take it Betty will be up for the night again?"

"You know she will, midnight to early morning. She's still waiting for that no-good moron from Queens to return. And what a wonderful welcome he will get... You don't go 'round drinking with no payment and start insulting the women who run the place."

Ah yes, he'd heard of that incident. Some wizard had come in a while after midnight and drank half the bar empty without any Dragots to pay for it, then continued to first insult Bertha, who was on shift that night, and then her wife Betty when she had come to investigate after the shouting from the common room had woken her. Newt, being fast asleep in his case, hadn't heard a thing.

"I'm sure she will find him. And if not... I'm sure Tina, eh Miss Goldstein, would be glad to help."

"Thanks, Mr. Scamander, but I don't think that will be neccessary!" Betty spoke from just behind him. She was a petite witch with soft features and an even fiercer and self-reliant attitude than her wife. "We're quite capable of taking care of things ourselves here." He did not doubt her for a second.

"Of course you are, I meant absolutely no offence." Truth is, he was just the tiniest bit frightened of her. He nodded at both of them in parting. "Good night."

Then he hurried up the stairs. Whatever awaited that wizard from Queens the next time he crossed Betty's path, it would not be pleasant.

He opened the letter once he was safely inside his suitcase.

 

_September 15 th 1927_

_Dear Mr. Scamander,_

_I hope this letter will find you well. I'm writing to inform you that your book has been quite the success so far. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" has been the talk of the British wizarding community for the past month now since its publication and sales have been above expectations._

_For even better news: I have just been informed that the Ministry of Magic has approved of making your text part of the Hogwarts curriculum for the next school year. A new elective course "Care of Magical Creatures" will be available for third-years and older students who are interested. I know you have been advocating this for a while now. Congratulations!_

_All the best for your ongoing expedition in America. I hope your studies of the magical wildlfe there are going well._

_Sincerely,_

_Augustus Worme_

_Obscurus Books_

 

Newt put the letter down with a smile. _Hogwarts will be teaching about magical creatures!_ He had been carefully campaigning for this for years now, ever since he found out just how bad his colleagues at the Beast Division of the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures were educted about the very beasts they were supposed to 'regulate and control'. It had been more than just a shock to him when he had transferred there, firmly believing to find a few kindred spirits among the employees. No such luck.

And his book was actually selling 'above expectations'? Whatever the 'above expectations' meant (from what he knew of his fellow wizards and witches, more than 10 sold copies in all of Britain should be considered 'above expectations'), Newt was glad to see at least a little interest in his work, to get people talking about magical creatures as something other than a danger or a pest.

But it was also possible they were not even talking about the creatures, but the author instead... He knew what his fellow wizards and witches though about him. That strange younger Scamander who never fitted in. Always disappointing his family with his odd ideas of life. Wasn't there some scandal or other at Hogwarts involving him? And now he's thinking himself to be a great author?

Newt shook his head. It had probably been a very good idea to go to New York before his book was officially published. He did not enjoy people being overly interested in his person.

Excepting a certain dark-haired witch from New York. Tina was not like the others and she was very much welcome to be interested in him all she liked.

 

* * *

 

Oktober 31st 1927:

Another letter had arrived for him while he had a small Halloween celebration dinner with Jacob and Queenie. Tina had been gone for work (a case somewhere around the Canadian border) these past few days, but that did not mean he should neglect the other friends he had found here. Or that he could.

Queenie wouldn't have it and had invited him over for dinner at the Kowalski flat twice now. It was a better enjoyment with Tina around, though. He had felt more like a 'third wheel' around those two without her company. She would be back at some point after next week though, according to the letter he had received from her two days ago. He was very much looking forward to that.

Tina had been gone for almost a week now, responding to a call from the MID late on a Monday night when they had just started feeding his creatures together. She was very sorry to go, but he did not try to stop her. Why would he?

But sadly, they hadn't even had the chance yet to discuss what happened after their night out with the Kowalskis (meaning Jacob and Queenie) and it would be almost three weeks past when they could finally (hopefully) do so...

They had cleared their last inner doubts about 'them' that night and were finally on the same page, had an enjoyable evening with quite a bit of dancing and then... well, then they had gotten quite lost in each other for some time, lost themselves to something more. And it had been very enjoyable, too... until he noticed the way she trembled under him, and not in a good way. He had stopped them then, gently pried her hands from where she was trying to undress him and kept close to her until the trembling had calmed down again. He wasn't even sure she had realised it through the haze.

But he was glad that he had. Just the thought of what could have happened otherwise... the way she might have regretted doing anything more with him come morning... unthinkable. It was the right decision to stop. And they should probably talk about this before there even could be a next time.

To be honest with himself, he would be okay to just stick to kissing for a while. There was no reason to rush any of this.

Newt went about feeding and caring for his creatures for the night while thinking.

The Erumpent had returned to a happier disposition these past days and needed a little less of his doting attention now. He should think about releasing her back into the wild, though... or at least find her a suitable mate. It could get rather lonely to be the only representative of a species down in this case. He knew that. It was why for years he a photo of his only friend and person with similar interests, Leta Lestrange, displayed in his living quarters. Not to feel too alone.

That picture was gone now, though, had been taken down for a long while and only recently been replaced with a photo of himself and his new New York friends taken that day at Central Park.

Last night he had also tried his hand at sketching Tina from his memories, again... maybe he would put one of those pictures up as well some time. If he was ever satisfied with the likenesses he created of her. There were many.

He remembered the letter he received when he was finally done for the night, back in his little shed and surrounded by research, sketches and experimental concoctions. The handwriting it was addressed in looked very familiar, even though he hadn't seen it in a long while. For a brief moment he wondered where Professor Dumbledore would have gotten this address from. But then he remembered that Dumbledore always had his ways of knowing and finding out... it had been quite annoying and frustrating at times while he was still a student at Hogwarts, until it became the very thing that had saved him and his education.

 

_Oktober 24 th 1927_

_Dear Mr. Scamander,_

_I hope you don't mind my writing to you. Your mother was so kind as to give me a forwarding address where this letter would most probably reach you at some point._

_Many congratulations on the success of your book. It has been the most enlightening read and I do recommend it to everyone who hasn't read about these Fantastic Beasts yet._

_You will probably have heard already that "Care of Magical Creatures" is finally going to be introduced as an elective next year. I would ask you to apply for the teaching position yourself, but I was told that you were quite busy over in America for now. I also remember that you never did well with all the rules and constraints Hogwarts would place on you._

_I hope you will find time visit at some point before the next school year, though, and take a look at what is being proposed for the new curriculum on magical creatures. For the time being you are the only reliable authority in this field._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_Deputy Head of Transfiguration Department_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 

That was rather unexpected. And to be called upon as a 'reliable authority' by one of his former teachers! Well, he might know a thing or two more about creatures than most wizards, but that didn't make him qualified for anything concerning education.

Should he go to Hogwarts and check on what the students would learn about magical creatures? Just to make sure it was not all in a bad way... It would be at Professor Dumbledore's invitation, sure, but he was neither the Headmaster nor responsible for the Ministry's proposed curriculum for Hogwarts. He always had a great influence, though.

Well, if it could be arranged visiting one of his favourite teachers would probably not be frowned upon by anyone. And if they happened to discuss these particular school matters... so be it.

 

* * *

 

November 7th 1927:

"Newt?" Tina's voice echoed through the vast space that his suitcase had been extended to. He hurried back to the shed to meet her.

"Tina!" She smiled over to him and did a little wave of her hand. "Hello," he greeted her in his usual, but nowadays slightly less awkward manner, while embracing her.

"Bertha gave me a letter that arrived for you this morning," she continued after Newt had let go of her again, "since apparently you haven't been out of your room all day. I think she's starting to wonder what the two of us are up to in there all the time..." Newt looked at her wide eyed, then felt his cheeks heat up.

He had never wondered much about what other people would think about him and his antics, but where Tina was concerned... people should only have the highest of opinions about her, he found.

"Don't worry, Newt," Tina chuckled. "She knows about your suitcase, remember? I put the letter on your desk, by the way."

"Uhm, thank you," he said, not entirely put at ease yet, and placed a loving kiss on her forehead, then a slightly longer one her lips.

"How was your day at work? I didn't really expect you to visit again tonight." Not that he did mind her being here, quite the opposite.

"Am I disturbing you with something?" she chuckled, but inquiring all the same.

"Oh no, not at all!" he grinned. "You know I always enjoy your company." _And miss it terribly when you're at work._ Because he couldn't visit her at MACUSA anymore, apparently his presence was distracting Auror Goldstein from her job. He had been asked by a few of her colleagues to refrain from visiting the office again.

Tina smiled up at him, as he was still holding her close from their kiss. "Good, because so do I. How about you go have a look at that letter, it looked awefully important. And I'll make us some tea?"

Newt nodded in agreement. "You have the best of ideas."

 

_November 1 st 1927_

_Dear Mr. Scamander,_

_as agreed upon I'm writing to you with new information regarding your book._

_Firstly: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is currently in its second reprint to keep up with the overwhelming demand here in Britain. Most exceptional!_

_Secondly: The Magical Congress of the United States has finally given their approval for publication of your text. Therefore your book will be available overseas at the beginning of the new year, as well as being published in Australia and New Zealand. We also are in negotiations with publishing houses abroad for translated versions to be on sale in German, French and Spanish (among others). Further news once we have reached an agreement._

_Thirdly: We at Obscurus Books have decided to revise your contract with us in your favour (see pages two and three). If you would be so kind as to return one of the copies to us with your signature, we would be much obliged._

_I know this to be a very forward question, since you finished the first edition barely six months ago. But seeing as you are still travelling and gathering new information on magical beasts, as well as some accounts in your book being not quite as thorough as others, would there be the possibility of working on a second edition at some point in the future? There seems to be a much greater demand for information about magical creatures than even I expected when commissioning you to write this book and Obscurus Books would be very honoured, should you decide to add to it._

_Sincerely,_

_Augustus Worme_

_Obscurus Books_

 

"So, what did it say?" Tina inquired when he joined her outside the shed for the promised cup of tea.

"Oh, it was just my publisher writing about how the book is doing."

"And how is it doing?" Tina asked with interest. Newt hadn't told her about its apparent success yet, in fact he was rather embarrassed to tell her about the full extend of it. Especially with the news he just had received. That revised contract still had his head spinning a bit.

"Uhm, not too bad apparently. MACUSA has approved of the text, so it might get published here some time next year..." And wasn't that a fine example of the famed British understatement? Newt was very proud of not sounding too awkward in voicing that sentence. It should almost be considered a lie.

"That is wonderful news, Newt!" She grinned, looking very excited and happy for him.

Newt only smiled in return, trying to find a way to change the topic to something else. Anything. "And this is excellent tea," he came up with after taking a sip from his cup.

 

* * *

 

November 22nd 1927:

"Letter for you, Mr. Scamander," Betty chirped in his direction as he hurried down the stairs.

"Oh, eh. Thanks." He grabbed the envelope she held up for him over the counter of the bar. "Gotta go. Bye!" He waved the hand holding the parchment in her general direction and vanished into the Apparation Room.

Just a minute later, Newt knocked on the door of Jacob's broom closet before entering the flat proper.

"What a surprising visit, Mr. Scamander!" Queenie called from the small kitchen with her always present smile.

He knew that it was Queenie's day off from work and that she would be spending it with Jacob in his flat or down at the bakery. Newt had just caught her preparing a simple supper, the No-Maj way for purposes of blending in.

"Well, come on in and sit down. Coffee?" Newt still hovered at the door but hurried to take a seat at the little kitchen table. She handed him a mug of the dark brown liquid, the warmth felt good in his hands.

"Uhm, thank you." He took a big gulp to calm his nerves and in the process slightly burned his mouth from the hot drink. Queenie didn't notice, though. She was busy with her pots on the stove.

"Jacob's still down at the bakery but he should be closing up soon," she informed him over her shoulder. "I'm just preparing some dinner for us. You're welcome to stay, if you like."

"Oh, uhm. That is very kind of you, but I'm not here to see Jacob. Actually, I'm here for you, Queenie, because I need to ask you a question."

Queenie had stopped her stirring now and turned to focus on Newt properly for the first time since he entered the apartment. Newt started to feel nervous again.

"Could you not read my mind, please? Or at least, let me say out loud what I have to say before you answer."

"Yeah, okay." She nodded and looked at him in anticipation now.

"Uhm..." He sighed and focussed his gaze down on the table in front of him. Where to start this? But she probably knew already what he was here for anyway. He took a deep breath. "You know what's been on my mind for a long while now," he started. She probably nodded at this, but he didn't look up to make sure.

"Since... well, since you are the only family Tina has left, there really is no one else to ask this question. So..." He finally looked up, determined to finish this like the confident man he was supposed to be. "I want to marry your sister, Queenie. She is... She's the most beautiful and wonderful person I have ever had the honour to know and I love her. I love her so much." He took a steadying breath after rushing his speech. "You know that I'm not Jewish, and I'm aware that might be a problem but... do I have your permission? May I ask Tina for her hand in marriage?"

It had only been a about month since they had first kissed. But after a night of holding her and contemplating everything she was to him, knowing the way someone else had taken advantage of her and her hopes and broken her heart in the worst possible manner, it had started to feel like the right thing to do. And the right time to do it, too. He wasn't entirely sure that Tina would say yes, but he wanted her to know what his intentions towards her were and always would be. There was no one else he would even consider spending his life with. No one he would rather give his life to.

Newt didn't have to wait long for Queenie's answer.

"Oh Newt! Of course you do!" She was laughing now. And crying. Apparently there was something like 'happy tears' after all. "Of course! Yes. And there will be no problems at all, honey. We're not conservative, you know?" She was jumping up and down in glee now. One could almost think that she was the one who had just been proposed to.

"Oh, finally!" And now she had thrown her arms around Newt in a hug. Newt cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly. This was definitely too much of an emotional reaction for his British sensibilities.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just so glad you're finally going to ask her. When did you have in mind?"

"Uhm. Nothing precise yet. But probably soon," he conceeded. He had briefly thought about asking her at the place where they first met... but the Steen National Bank was not exactly considered a romantic setting, and rather too public for his own liking if he was being honest.

Queenie shook her head. "Nothing too public, no. She really wouldn't like that either."

Newt shook his head with a smile. _What did I just ask of you?_

"Sorry, I just can't help it!" She giggled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. But please," she looked at him with pleading eyes now, "don't take too much time. I really don't know how long I will be able to kep mum about this!"

"Well, I certainly won't take another three months," he answered her before taking another swallow of his coffee.

"I sure hope so, Mister!" she laughed and clapped her hands in delight again. "Oh, what a wonderful day!"

Newt grinned awkwardly. "I haven't asked her yet, you know."

"No, but you will! And hopefully before the year is over?"

Newt thought for a second. It was the end of November, two days before the American holiday called Thanksgiving, which he would spend with his friends. And Tina, who was so much more than that. It would give him five weeks to come up with something suitable.

"Yes," he said somewhat confidently, "before the year is over."

Queenie was having another bout of gleeful jumping and clapping. Newt used the time to finish off his coffee, but inside he felt a similar joy well up. Now he was one small step closer to making her Tina Scamander. And as it had done for the past three months, that thought filled his chest with an inexplicable warmth and comfort.

"Well, I'll leave you to your cooking then." Newt spoke as he got up from the table again.

"Oh, you're not staying for dinner?"

Newt smirked. "I have a few things to figure out, preferably before New Year's Eve."

Queenie grinned. "Okay then. And don't worry, Newt. I won't tell Jacob this time around."

Newt nodded at her in gratitude, said his goodbyes and vanished into the broom closet once more to apparate back to the 'Cat's Cradle'.

Once inside his room and down in his suitcase, he allowed for an enormous smile to appear on his face. Now he only had to find a decent way to ask her. Or at least make his intentions known.

Then he remembered the letter he had been handed before his hurried departure. His mother had written.

 

_November 16 th 1927_

_My dear Newt,_

_I do hope this letter finds you in good health._

_North America must be full of unstudied magical creatures, since you didn't seem to have the time for writing to your poor mother. The last I heard from you was after your arrival in New York, in August! Oh, I do worry so when there is no news from you._

_Thank you so much for sending us a first copy of your book, it arrived the very day it was available for purchase at Diagon Alley. I never thought it would actually happen, to be honest! We are so proud of you, Newt!_

_I do not know if you have had word of it already, but it is doing extremely well around these parts. Suddenly people want to talk about my Hippogriffs at the dinner parties your father still drags me to. It looks like everyone your father and I know has read your book and they are suddenly so very interested in the creatures they so despised or were completely ignorant of not too long ago. How completely unexpected a development!_

_And it seems the same goes for you as well, my dear! There is a growing pile of letters waiting for you, all of them addressed in distincly female handwritings and written on perfumed parchment. In curiosity your brother opened a few of the latest arrivals and what shall I say... it seems that with becoming a successful author you also became an eligible bachelor once more. Fame is a curious thing._

_Please be a bit wary upon returning to England. Because that is what you have become here, Newt: famous. People have started asking after you. The name Scamander is no longer just associated with your brother's war exploits but the travelling magizoologist author as well. And The Daily Prophet wants to interview you, they have called on us twice now already in hopes of finding you here. They were sorely disappointed, though._

_Please tell me that you will come visit us for Christmas this year. Four months in the wild countryside of America should be enough at a time, don't you think? The 'griffs miss you. And so do your father and I._

_All my love,_

_Your Mother_

 

 _Bugger!,_ Newt thought after reading. He had rather liked the fact that no one seemed to take much notice of him. He hadn't thought it would become this... bad with publication of his book. _The Daily Prophet? Perfumed letters?_ He really hoped that the book would not leave such a grand impression here in the States, otherwise his life 'in hiding' here in New York would become quite unpleasant. Because this is also where he had planned to stay for the foreseeable future and make his base for further travels. He wanted to start looking for a place of his own. A place to return _home_ to, close to Tina.

Newt had written to his family (and his publisher) that he would spend an indefinite time here in North America to travel and study more creatures. Not entirely a lie, since he did spend the last three months studying a special magical creature named Tina Goldstein in her natural habitat. Not that he would ever publish the notes and results of these studies. Or consider her to be an actual creature he could lock up in his suitcase. No, absolutely not. Tina was someone to better be left roaming free and observed in the her natural environment. She would only be bound by the bonds she accepted freely and willingly, much like the dragons he worked with a long time ago. And he dearly hoped, that she would be willing to bind herself to him at some point. 

 

He read the letter from his mother once again and thought things over for a long time. Then he made an important decision, that filled him with equal parts of dread and excitement.

He would ask Tina to marry him, and he would do so before the month was over. Because should she say yes and be agreeable to it, he had thoughts to spend Christmas in England. With Tina. To introduce his family to his fiancée.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some information about the timeline:  
> The first letter arrives some time between chapters 6 and 7, the second letter is after chapter 11 and letter number three after chapter 12. The last letter is current in the story, as you may have guessed from the situation it arrived in.
> 
> Sorry for this 'filler chapter', the next one will have a little more to add to the storyline ;)


	15. A Day in the Life of Tina Goldstein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the chapter title says: a special day in the life of Tina Goldstein.

Thanksgiving had been a quiet little affair, that was sadly cut short by an emergency call for Tina.

This particularly American holiday not usually was celebrated by the wizarding community, but at Jacob's invitation the four of them had gathered at his flat to enjoy a festive meal together. Just after the traditional Turkey was carved (Jacob had been very proud of it), Tina's watch started a loud buzzing and humming. The MID's emergency call for Aurors... Tina apologized profusely, kissed him goodbye and disapparated from the broom closet within a minute of the call. They didn't hear from her again until late the next morning.

According to Queenie it was not the first time to happen. Being one of the newer members and without a family of her own, she was apparently high on the list for such calls when Aurors were needed. This time it had been an unexpected lead on some highly wanted criminal or other, which led to a merry chase through four states. At least they were successful in apprehending them.

Newt's tentative plan for a quiet word after dinner had to be abandoned, though. Queenie regarded him with sympathy, but thankfully didn't say a word about it.

 

* * *

 

More than a week had passed until Tina was free for more than a short lunch or hurried dinner again, it was early December now.

It was raining on this particular Saturday morning, but Newt didn't mind too much. The dreary cold weather was supposed to clear up later in the day. Hopefully just in time for what he had planned.

Newt would be spending this particular day with Tina of course, menial housekeeping tasks and all. She didn't even argue with him about it. Since Tina had been gone such long hours in the last week Queenie had taken to spend more time with her man at his own flat. (Queenie and Jacob practically lived together these days.) So apparently the state of her flat was not quite up to par... Newt didn't see it when he joined her after feeding his creatures in the morning, but who was he to judge?

First item on Tina's agenda was a trip to the shops. Groceries and other small neccessities needed to be restocked at the Goldstein flat, so Newt accompanied her on her errands through half the city of New York. They visited various magical supply shops for parchment, quills and some potion ingredients, as well as  a shoemaker and the muggle grocer just down the street. Tina was very grateful for the two additional arms to help with transport of her purchases.

That being done and with the interior of the small but surprisingly stuffed flat being scrubbed within an inch of its life, Tina finally seemed satisfied with the state of things and after a cup of coffee (respectively tea for him) Newt managed to talk her into taking a walk around the city on this lovely Saturday.

The rain had stopped as predicted while they were busy with household chores, throwing good-natured banter at each other all the while. Newt very much liked this new-found familiarity between them, no longer feeling the need to prove himself worthy of her company as he had done for the longest time. Hehad become  unafraid to be himself around her, otherwise he would not have though to go through with his plan. The two of them had had quite a few honest conversations in the past month, shared things of their pasts they wouldn't normally tell just anyone and determined that this... courtship was a serious thing for both of them. And the kisses had helped too in creating this familiarity. Of course they did.

As they walked about Newt inconspiciously managed to guide their steps to a certain area of the city. Their well-earned late lunch consisted of two hotdogs they bought from a street vendour near the Steen National Bank. Tina chuckled as they walked past the wide stairs where muggles were swarming in and out of the grand building to go about their terribly important business.

"I believe this would be the place where we had our first meeting, Mr. Scamander," she said in an overly formal tone. It was one of her ways of teasing him, he knew, trying to sound particularly 'English', addressing him by his last name. Once, many months ago, he had not known that yet and lived through an awful period of believing her to be quite angry at him about a billywig.

"Indeed I think it is, Miss Goldstein," he agreed in similar fashion. "And if I'm not mistaken you were also enjoying this very New York food invention that day. I distinctly remember a small yellowish stain of mustard just above your lip as you tried to apprehend me, dangerous criminal that I was." Tina chuckled again.

"Well, someone had the nerve to run into me on the streets as I was just minding my own business. Whoever do you think that could have been?"

They were both grinning now, barely able to hold in their laughter as they continued walking. So much had changed since that fateful day, just a little over a year ago now. Most of it for the better.

"Well, this is also where my Niffler had the time of his life," Newt continued in a normal tone of voice now, but still chuckling. "So many shiny things for him to filch. Oh, and Jacob hit me over the head with my own case! Lovely times, that."

Tina looked at him in surprise. "Really? So that's why you didn't manage to obliviate him, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." Newt nodded earnestly.

"You should have said so, that surely would have been seen as extenuating circumstances."

"Oh, I do believe Porpentina Goldstein was much too focussed on getting her proper job back to accept anything as extenuating circumstances." He smiled at her now. "And quiet rightly so, it should never have been taken from her in the first place."

They headed over into Central Park now from the south, past the small lake were they had had that lovely picnic with Queenie and Jacob (also where he had recaptured the escaped Erumpent) and past the zoo where the two of them had taken a first short walk together. The first of many.

It had gotting quite late in the afternoon now as they were walking and talking about anything and nothing, simply enjoying each others company on Tina's after a busy week.

"There's one last place I want to go before heading back in for dinner," Newt said with a look at the sky and led them to a more secluded part ofbushes and  shrubbery where he took her hand firmly in his and apparated...

... to a familiar looking roof top. It was the one where they had regrouped after escaping their death sentences at MACUSA just over a year ago, where they had decided what to do next in their efforts to recapture the last of his missing creatures. Where they had had a small moment of their own, Tina and him.

The sky had cleared a little more in the past hour or so while they strolled through Central Park, enough for the fading light of the early setting sun to colour the city's rooftops in an impressive yellow and orange light.

"What are we doing here?" Tina asked him as she surveyed the environment. Ever the Auror.

"I have never seen an actual sunset in this city. I thought today might be a good day to try," he explained with a smirk.

"Shouldn't we go to a higher rooftop for that?" Tina asked him with a raised eyebrow. "You won't be able to see much from here in a short while."

"No, I rather like it here. Not too many people around to share in the wonderful view." He gazed at her and then walked her over to western side of the roof where the late autumn sun was still visible just over the high buildings in the far distance.

They stood next to each other there, still clasping hands and watching the sun slowly disappear behind the buildings of New York. Some bright rays of orange still filtered through the few gaps now, washing the pigeonry behind them in a muted golden glow while the twilight was slowly starting to close in.

The time had come, and with it the nerves he had evaded all day long by keeping busy. What would her reaction be? What would she say? _Let's find out now or never_ , he thought and took a steadying breath.

"You know," Newt started speaking as he turned towards Tina again. "I've spent the last three months now trying my best to court you, to woo you. And for some astounding reason this did not end in a complete disaster." He chuckled softly, grasping her hand just a little tighter. "I... well, I only ever dared to dream that you might actually..." He hesitated, gaze sliding down towards the ground as he thought of his options to end this sentence.

_... want this._

_... want me._

_... want this with me._

"Newt, don't say things like that," Tina answered before he could settle on the right words. But she seemed to have understood him anyway. Of course she would.

"It's true though. I still don't really understand why you would want to be with someone like me. But apparently you do, and I certainly won't discourage you from that." He shyly smiled up at her now. "These last few weeks, months even... I don't think I've ever been happier, Tina, and I... I love you. Very much."

Tina sucked in a sharp breath and stared at him with wonder. "Newt," she whispered, but with a gesture he stopped her from saying anything more. He was not finished yet. With another deep breath he continued.

"A little over three months ago, I came to New York for one specific reason and that was to see if at some point I could ask you a question. Tina," he slowly dropped down on one knee before her and held her hand in both of his now, "if you could possibly see it in you to spend some more time with me, will you... Will you marry me?"

He reached into the pocket of his coat now and with a fumbly produced a small box covered in grey velvet, which he tentatively offered to her. Nestled inside this open box was a ring. "Please, will you let me be your husband?"

He looked up at Tina with something he believed to be a hopeful smile. He wasn't sure though, his nerves might have contorted it into something else entirely.

There was a moment of silence on the rooftop with only the sounds of the bustling city below them to be heard. Tina's hand, the one he was not currently holding in his, had moved to cover her mouth in surprise. Or shock, both were a possibility. She stared down, first at him, then at the ring he offered to her, and then back to his face. Her eyes were wide and brimming now, a small tear was on its way to escape from the corner of her eye. And then, she nodded.

Tina nodded and a small sob escaped her as she answered his hopeful smile with one of her own. "Yes," she whispered through the tears, happy tears, and she gripped his hand in a reaffirming gesture.

"Yes?" Newt couldn't help but ask. He just needed to hear it again, to be absolutely sure he hadn't made this up in a daydream.

"Yes," she said again with an overwhelming smile now, "I will let you be my husband, Newton Artemis Fido Scamander."

No, he hadn't made this up. Never would she use his entire given name in a dream of his own invention. Suddenly his nerves were replaced with joy, complete and utter joy sweeping over him as the meaning of her words sank in. _She said yes!_

His own eyes started to water slightly as he took the ring for its box and with trembling hands placed it on Tina's left hand. Still, he grinned at her, as he did so. "Then I am... more than happy to call you my fiancée, Porpentina Esther Goldstein." He gently kissed the back of her hand, then moved to get up, took her smiling face in both his hands and kissed her with fervour. His fiancée.

"I love you," Tina whispered against him as they stood there in the light of a setting sun, now resting their foreheads against each other and smiling happily. "I love you, Newt. I love you. And I'm going to marry you."

And the steady warmth inside his chest expanded so much at her words that he felt like a sun himself. "Tina. My Tina. My love," he whispered against her skin as he hugged her closer still.

 

* * *

 

It was dark by the time they disapparated from the rooftop and back into Tina's neighbourhood. This time they actually walked through the front door of the brownstone and took the stairs up to the flat. She couldn't say why, but it felt right to do so after what had happened today. She still couldn't believe it.

Just as they reached the first landingof the stairs they heard a door open on the ground level. Mrs. Esposito.

"Tina, is that you?" she asked in her unmistakable voice.

"Yes, Mrs. Esposito!" Tina called down to her.

"Are you alone?" she inquired further.

Newt squeezed the hand he was still holding and answered the witch before Tina could. "No, Mrs. Esposito," he called. In a softer voice he added "She'll never be alone again." and looked directly at her as he did so. She saw the love for her so clearly in his eyes, that tears threatened to make an appearance again.

"About time, Mr. Scamander!" the landlady yelled up at them. "It's been what, three months now since you've been back?"

Newt and Tina looked at each other in horrified surprise. She had known of his visits all this time? How? They had been so careful to avoid being found out!

"Uhm... about three months, yes," Newt answered her uncertainly.

"Good. Now, you take good care of her, alright? And tell Queenie to hurry up with her beau too, so I won't have to pretend any longer. It is far more respectable for two young women to have their fiancés visiting, you know?"

The door closed with an audible slam behind the older woman and silence enveloped them again. Then they both started to giggle at the absurdity of it all. Mrs. Esposito had known about the male visitors and deliberately looked the other way... Dismissed by the landlady as they now were, Newt and Tina made their way up to the Goldstein appartment, chuckling in disbelieve for all three flights of stairs that were left.

On the topmost floor Tina opened the door and led them inside. Queenie wasn't home yet. She'd had a half-day at work today, then probably spend the afternoon with Jacob as she had done for the last week or so. But they had agreed to come together for dinner tonight. It was barely 5pm yet and they would not join them for at least another hour.

Ever the gentleman, a smiling Newt helped Tina out of her heavy winter coat before taking off his own to place them on a hook next to the door. Tina had walked over to the fireplace and with a flick of her wand and a murmured " _Incendio!_ " the fire in the living room roared back to life. It being the first days of December, winter was not far and the flat had turned rather cold in their absense.

Newt joined her before the fire and soon they sat on the little settee, enjoying each other and the fiery warmth after spending the entire afternoon outside in the cold December air.  For the first time since Newt had opened the small box and presented it to her on the rooftop, she dared openly admire the ring on her hand. It was not the fancy-looking kind of engagement ring she had seen on other girls, the kind of ring laden with glittering diamonds and other jewels. It was rather simple thing, yet intricately beautiful and something she may have chosen herself if asked. A small band, silvery in colour and worked to look like two bands joined together as one, ending in small curved ornaments that framed a single oval gem. A bright white stone shimmering in every colour imaginable when hit by the light.

"It was my grandmother's ring," Newt explained to her when he caught her looking. "A gift from my grandfather not long after they got married. She always told us that he found the rough stone himself while on business somewhere in Australia and had it made into a ring for her."

"It's beautiful," Tina marvelled as the warm light of the flames danced over the mesmerizing stone. Simple, but beautiful. "What kind of-?"

"A white opal," he hurried to explain. "The ring is made of white gold and opal." He paused for a moment, then continued. "My grandmother loved it very much. She gave it to me just before my 17th birthday, saying that 'every young man should have a ring for his girl when the time comes'... I'm not sure if she was thinking of someone specific or in general terms, though."

Tina looked at him in question, a certain name appering in her mind that hadn't haunted her in a long time. "Leta Lestrange?"

Newt shook his head in answer. "I don't know what Nana's intentions were, but things between Leta and I were never like that, Tina. We were friends. Close friends, yes, since neither of us had anyone else, but nothing more. To other people it might have looked that way, though... "

"So you never...?" Tina looked at him and wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. Newt chuckled.

"My love, you were the first to ever kiss me, and the first that I ever kissed. I... haven't really been interested in any of that, to be honest. At least not until I met you and just couldn't forget you."

His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her a little closer to kiss her forehead. Tina leaned against his shoulder as he continued his tale.

"Could you actually believe it? I was quite the oddball back then, at school. Even to my otherwise quite tolerant Hufflepuff housemates. Spend most of my spare time outside, trudging through the Forbidden Forest and extensive school grounds looking after creatures I found."

"Of course you did," she chuckled. She could see it in her mind, a younger version of him happily surrounded by all kinds of creatures.

"Well, someone had to make sure they were doing okay... the Centaurs may have been happy being left to themselves, they are very independant beasts. But some of the other creatures needed a bit more care and attention from time to time."

"There are Centaurs in the forest next to your school?" Tina asked incredulously. She had heard about them, proud and fierce creatures of near-human intelligence. She had never encountered one, though.

Newt nodded. "Yes, among others. The Unicorns wouldn't come near me, though. They rather prefer women." He seemed a little saddened at that.

"Unicorns? It seems that Hogwarts might be an even more magical place than Ilvermorny, when you put it like that. We only have Pukwudgies on the grounds."

He chuckled. "Well, the Forbidden Forest is just that... forbidden to students. I don't think many of them actually know about this." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"It must have been hard for you leaving a place like that when you were expelled," Tina spoke after a short pause, not sure if it was okay to bring this up. By now that was one of the very few things they hadn't had a conversation about, and Tina had to admit she was curious about the incident.

"I wasn't actually expelled from Hogwarts," Newt chuckled. Tina was surprised.

"But wasn't that what your file said? I remember... _him_ reading that out loud."

Newt nodded. "Yes. But my file also said that the expulsion was never enforced. Didn't you get to read it during the investigations last year?"

Tina shook her head. "No, they wouldn't let me work on that case. Apparently I was 'too involved' with your person." _And now I definitely would be,_ she thought wryly and glanced at the ring on her finger.

Newt softly laughed at her tone of voice. "Well, I was _supposed_ to be expelled, but after a lot of arguing from Professor Dumbledore the Headmaster decided not to enforce it after all. I think he just agreed to stop Dumbledore from talking any longer, to be honest. I got to graduate with the rest of my year, even though they steered clear of me for the remainder of my time at school. Not that I did mind that too much."

"What exactly did you do, if I may ask?" Tina inquired softly. 'Endangering human life with a creature' Grindelwald had said, but that could be a lot of things.

" _I_ didn't do anything, actually." Newt paused. "I took a fall to safe the one friend I had from definite expulsion."

"You covered for Leta?"

"Yes. She was... let's say she was as much an outsider as I was, both curious about things that did not hold any interest to other people. Only, her curiosity drove her to do foolish and reckless things. She was on probation already when she decided to keep a Jarvey as her new pet... Somehow, I don't even know why, it attacked the students in the Slytherin common room. I... couldn't bear losing my only friend, so I told them that it was mine. And Leta readily agreed with me, but Professor Dumbledore looked right through it I guess. The school board wanted me expelled for endangering human lives with a creature, since one of the students was so badly injured he had to be treated extensively in the Hospital wing. My parents were not pleased."

"I hope she was thankful you saved her from that expulsion," she said slightly sharper than intended. Newt took a few seconds to answer her.

"Leta didn't talk to me after I left the Headmaster's office. And after the news had spread, her family wanted her to stay away from me. Apparently I was a bad influence and 'damaging to her good prospects'." He chuckled darkly. "I think that was the one and only time she ever did as she was told."

Tina didn't say anything for a moment, too wrought up by what Newt had just told her. _She didn't deserve a friend like you._ She told him just that.

"What we deserve and what we get are often completely different things," he said and left it at that.

 

There was a popping sound as Jacob and Queenie apparated into the living room.

"Oh, hey you two!" Jacob started with his greetings, but Queenie stopped him from moving forward by putting a hand on his arm. She mustered Tina intently before breaking out in a huge smile.

"It happened!" she more screeched than spoke. "Oh, it finally happened, Jacob!"

"Wha..?" But Queenie interrupted him once again.

"Show me, Teenie. Oh please, show me the ring!" And with a barely concealed grin at her sister's reaction Tina took her left hand from where it was hidden between their bodies and placed it on her lap so Queenie could see.

She had moved forward now and stood in front of Tina to take her hand in, openly marvelling at the engagement ring it now featured.

"It's so beautiful. I knew he had it but I could never see it clearly in his mind, you know?" she said with a smirk at them.

Newt chuckled next to her. "And that's probably because I never could actually picture what it would look like on Tina." His cheeks had turned a soft pink as he looked over to her. "Now I know, though, and it looks quite good."

"Congratulations!" Queenie said with a soft smile at both of them. Tina thought she could see a hint of sadness in it as well.

"Wow, Newt, that's a nice trinket!" Jacob whistled as he moved up behind Queenie to take a look at the ring, too. "Did your Niffler rob some banks again while you were back home? Possibly anything left to spare for the poor baker?"

"Uhm." It was meant as a jest, but Newt being the person he was just couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"It was his grandma's," Tina explained quickly for an awkward Newt. "A family heirloom. No crimes neccessary. I hope?" she spoke with an inquiring look at her fiancé. And didn't that sound strange in her head. Strange and wonderful. A smile bloomed on her face. 

"Huh!" Jacob exclaimed. "And all my grandma left me where her pastry recipes... amazing as they are, though."

Tina couldn't help but laugh at that. And so did the others, Newt included. She only now realised she was still leaning against his shoulder, with his arm unashamedly wrapped around her waist. Unlike his previously usual behaviour, this time Newt hadn't moved to put a bit of distance between them with the arrival of company. _What else would change, now?_

"Now, I'm gonna start working on a lovely celebratory dinner," Queenie said after they had all calmed down again, "and then you'll have to tell us exactly how he popped the question!"

Newt groaned next to her, but she patted his arm and smiled at him. "I'll do the talking, you just have to sit and nod appropriately."

"I knew I asked you to marry me for a reason," he answered with a grin.

 

* * *

_December 5 th 1927_

_Dear Mother,_

_I apologize for my lack of correspondance. The past three months have been rather busy and writing to you was just not on my mind, to be honest. So very sorry to have worried you._

_I am quite well and actually managed to stay out of trouble, I'll have you know. That is probably also the reason why there were no news from Thesseus about me, I should say. I know that he is screening all incoming reports for mentions of my name._ _North America is a thoroughly interesting place, very different from England indeed. But it will please you to hear that I have indeed plans to visit for Christmas. My ship will arrive on the 23 rd of December and I hope you won't mind that I am going to bring a guest to stay with us for the holidays._

 _You can probably guess just how I feel about the recent developments concerning the book that you have mentioned. It is good to get people interested in magical creatures, though. Even if it is only on a superficial level. The_ Prophet _shall bother you no longer, though. I have written already and asked them to stop harassing my family._

_Love,_

_Newt_

 

"You won't tell her that you're bringing your fiancée?" Tina asked after reading the short letter he would send to his mother.

"Merlin, no! I don't even want to think about the kind of reception she would give her newly engaged son with two weeks notice." Just the notion absolutely horrified him.

Tina raised her eyebrows. "That bad, huh?"

"When I say reception, I mean an actual reception. Invited guests, drinks and all that. She would go all out, I'm sure. " He was sure that plans already existed for the occasion, ready to be put into motion as soon as the news had reached her.

"Are you serious?" Tina sounded rather amused.

"Very. She has been waiting for this for a while now, you see. Never quite giving up hope that I would eventually find someone..." He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I guess she was right in doing so. I found you."

Tina smiled. "Well, let's give her a nice surprise for Christmas, then."

"Yes, that was my thought exactly."

They remained in their embrace for a while, thinking about the plans they had made. Two weeks spent in England. They would visit his parents for a few days and later go to Hogwarts, explore Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and other wizarding places in Britain. He really hoped that Tina would enjoy it.

"Hey Newt," Tina said suddenly with a grin, "how come your Niffler didn't get his paws on the ring? I mean, I didn't see this on the pile after he went through all your stuff. That would have been quite a prize."

Newt chuckled, thinking about the lengths he had to go to ensure it would remain where it was. "Strong protection charms. A lot of them. But the Niffler could still sense it, which is why he went through my stuff in the first place. And that wasn't the first or only time either." He paused for a moment, then confessed to her. "You know, that ring was safely stored in my vault at Gringott's for more than a decade. But I thought it crucial to retrieve it before boarding the ship to New York." He chuckled softly. "Quite hopeful and optimistic for someone who didn't have the faintest idea how to go about properly courting a witch, don't you think?"

Tina giggled. "Quite so, Mr. Scamander, that was rather bold thinking on your part." Then she added in a softer voice, "I'm glad to see it all worked out, though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! It's been hinted at for ages and now the question is finally out and answered!  
> What did you think? (Too soon? Too cheesy? Not cheesy enough?) 
> 
> These were my inspirations for the ring: (the first for the materials, second for the beautiful shape of the band)  
> 
> 
> On another note, I chose to give Leta Lestrange a less important role in Newt's early life than she probably will have in the upcoming movie(s). For reasons of keeping this nice and fluffy, as well as me not yet having figured out her character... she's a tricky one, I think. Instead Newt just simply was not interested in relationships and all that jazz until the right person came along in form of one Tina Goldstein. 
> 
> ALSO IMPORTANT:  
> -> The next chapter will be up on Monday, January 9th, since this writing Ravenclaw will be away for a weekend vacation and is not allowed to take the writingdesk with her.  
> I think I'm leaving you with a good one though, right?


	16. New Shores

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina just got engaged. Now it's time to meet the family.

They left New York City on the afternoon of December 18th  on a steamer bound for Southampton, England. Tina had hastily applied for an extended leave of four weeks and muggle-worthy passport documents the day after Newt had asked her to join him on his visit to England. And thankfully both were granted and issued just in time for the trip. 

It was Tina's first journey outside North America and she was equally excited and intimidated as Queenie accompanied them to the docks to say goodbye to her sister and Newt. They'd be back in less than a month, but Tina had never been parted from her sister this long. Not since leaving Ilvermorny a year before her. And never before were they on completely different continents. 

In addition she would spent Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, on a ship and in a strange country instead of with her family. But Queenie had been very adamant on insisting she go anyway when she had brought it up at the beginning of the month. 

"Don't let this hold you back, Teenie. You can light your candles without me there," she had said with a grin. "And you can always ask Newt to join you if you'd like some company... I'm sure he'd be more than happy to observe and learn more about our customs. You two are going to get married after all!"

And so here she was. At the docks and ready to board the ship that would bring them to England. So Newt could introduce her to his family... his fiancée. A happy smile stole itself over her face. It sounded still too good to be true.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, sis?" she asked her sister one more time as they walked through the crowds and reached their gangway. She couldn't help fretting about leaving her sister alone for so long.

"I'll be fine," Queenie told her and they hugged one last time. "Don't worry about me and enjoy your time in England, will you?" 

Tina nodded and smiled. "I'll try."

"Good. He's so looking forward to introducing you to his mum, Teen. It's real sweet... you make him so happy. "

 _I know..._ Tina let her gaze wander to said wizard for a moment, standing two steps away to give them some privacy for their goodbyes. "I'll see you soon." _  
_

"You will. And don't bother writing, I want to hear everything from _you_!"

 

* * *

 

A soft knock on the door to his cabin woke Newt from sleep. The door opened before he even had a chance to react and the backlit outline of a person appeared in the doorframe.

"Tina?" he whispered, voice still hoarse from sleep. Who else could it possibly be at this time of night?

"Oh!" She quickly entered and closed the door behind her, darkness settling around the small room once more. "Sorry, I... I thought you were in your case. I woke you."

Newt sat up now, hands rubbing over his face to try and wake up properly. It was still in the middle of the night. "Uhm, yes. What... what is it?"

"I just... I couldn't sleep." She took a step forward now in the small cabin. "I thought I could maybe spend a bit of time with the creatures in your suitcase... just to settle down a little." She sounded a bit embarrassed by her confession, and looked it too from what he could see in the sparse moonlight coming in through the small porthole.

"Uhm, I don't think that's a good idea," he said. Tina's face fell. "Oh no, Tina. I didn't mean that you can't go in if you like. It's just... they're asleep too, you know? If we go down there now and inevitably wake them, some of the creatures will be rather cranky for the next few days. There's a reason I keep them on something like a schedule, you see."

"Oh, okay." She fidgeted with the cuff of her pyjama top, unsure what to do now. "Sorry, I should probably go back to my own room, then." She sounded a little defeated now as she turned back to open the door once more.

"Tina, wait." He felt his heart speed up at the thought of what he was going to propose. "You, uhm... you could stay here for a bit, if you like?" It was a rather bold suggestion, but thankfully it was quite dark in the room and his blush would remain unnoticed for now. "We could talk or... something. I'm quite awake now."

She looked uncertain still. "You wouldn't mind?"

With a smile he patted the free space next to him on the small bed. "Sit down with me?"

"Okay." She closed the distance between them with three steps and sat down next to him on the bed, both of them now sitting up against what should be considered the headboard with legs stretched out on the mattress.

"I didn't realise you'd be sleeping in the bed of your actual cabin," Tina started. "Sorry for barging in like that."

Newt chuckled softly. "It's okay, you didn't know any different. I always use the beds provided while travelling on a ship, you see. Wouldn't want to be surprised one morning and find myself in a suitcase on the bottom of the ocean. We all remember the _Titanic_ , I think."

Tina nodded, then chuckled. "This situation is very improper some would say."

Newt cleared his throat. "Well... we are engaged, Tina. I think people might give us some leeway." But he grabbed his wand anyway from underneath his pillow and pointed it at the door muttering a Secrecy Spell. "We wouldn't want to give people reason to talk, though. It's still four days to go until we arrive," he chuckled. Not that much of anything scandalous would actually happen.... and certainly not in a narrow, uncomfortable bed on a steam ship. They hadn't done anything more than kissing, so far. Intense kissing, to be honest, and with rather a lot of touching, too. But their clothing had remained on at all times.

Tina was still fidgeting next to him.

"Any specific reason you can't sleep, my love?" Newt asked with a tinge of concern.

"I'm gonna meet your family," she simply replied as if it were a perfectly logical explanation.

"Yes, you are. But why would you lose sleep over that?"

She looked at him now, the insecurity playing clearly on her face. "What if they don't like me? Or my... believes." _Oh, Tina._

"Do you really think I would break off our engagement because some member of my family doesn't like the fact that you are Jewish?" He shook his head in disbelieve and pulled her closer to him in a gentle embrace. She felt rather tense in his arms. "I love you, Tina. They will simply have to deal with the fact that you and I are going to get married, whether they agree or not. Because that plan will not change, however they might receive you. But I don't think they'll mind much, my family is quite secular."

"But do you think they'll like me?" She asked in a low voice. She was snuggling against his shoulder now with a hand placed high on his pyjama-clad chest.

"I'm more than sure that my mother will love you, Tina. As for my father... I really couldn't say." He paused for a short moment before adding. "He didn't think my brother's wife very agreeable, and yet they still got married with his blessing." _And my brother will probably want to have you for himself... or at least have you in his bed._ He kept that thought to himself, though. "If you feel uncomfortable around my family at all, please tell me. We don't have to stay with them while we're in England."

Tina nodded against his shoulder. "Okay."

"I'd rather disappoint my mother by leaving early than have you feel the least bit uneasy in their presence, love."

Tina nodded again, a bit slower this time. She was much less tense now that he had appeased some of her worries, and it didn't take long for her to finally succumb to a deep sleep in his arms. Newt didn't mind at all and held her close until he too was fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

After five days at sea they reached Southampton in early afternoon of December 23rd.

Debarking and customs went by uneventfully with her new documents and soon they had left the busy docks behind them to enter an equally busy English town. It was similar in it's hustle and bustle some places and yet nothing like New York at all, but Tina enjoyed it still.

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked Newt curiously, who was leading her purposefully through the streets and alleys into a quieter neighbourhood. She already new that their destination was not his parent's home yet. They lived somewhere in the countryside, not in Southampton.

"Ah, here we are," Newt said in answer. They stood in front of a small tea parlour and Newt beamed at her. "Come on, let's go in!"

Tina shook her head in amusement. Of course her English fiancé would take her straight to a 'real' tea parlour upon stepping on British soil. She followed him in with a chuckle.

As it turned out it was not just any tea room, but a mostly wizarding establishment owned by a witch and her No-Maj husband. For a minute Tina got the feeling Newt brought her here for a purpose, to see what a life her sister could have here, but she was proven (at least partly) wrong when he ordered them both a cup of tea from the stern-faced witch and inquired after the health of the couple's Kneazle. Apparently it had much improved in the months since his departure and was back to gleefully ripping the upstairs curtains to shreds. The witch smiled happily while telling them, though.

"I'll be right back with your tea, Mr. Scamander," she said and left the two of them alone in the small parlour.

"I didn't know you made house calls," Tina grinned.

"Oh, just every now and then... when I'm in the area anyway. Their kneazle had a bit of a problem with his diet... too many left-over scones stolen from the kitchen. Poor thing didn't feel well at all. I hope the book will help owners understand the needs of their pets a little better in the future."

The witch brought them a tray of tea. Two cups and teapot full of freshly brewed liquid. Newt obviously revelled in it, but to Tina it was all the same. She still prefered a nice cup of coffee to any tea, but when in Rome... The scones that accompanied the drink were not half bad, though.

 

* * *

 

 

After enjoying their cups of 'proper tea', Newt apparated them into a rich countryside with low rolling hills in front and what appeared to be extensive park-like grounds behind them. Tina took a deep breath, the air had a much fresher smell here than she was used to.

"This way, if you please," Newt said with a smile and gestured towards a single winding gravel road leading through the mostly bare trees behind them. He was carrying both of their suitcases still, ever the gentleman, and Tina used her freedom of luggage to watch her new surroundings from every angle, spinning in a circle to take everything in at once. She could finally understand Newt's great love for the outsides now, growing up with this much greenery around she would probably have prefered it to a city life, too. Even though it looked quite bare now in the wintertime with only a few evergreens dotted about.

"We can't apparate any closer, but it's not that long a walk. My father quite likes his privacy and Mother would rather not have strangers appear amidst her Hippogriffs, so they set up a perimeter of Anti-Apparition Charms long ago," he explained while they walked through a line of trees.

And then she saw it, the house. Which was probably the wrong word for it. Manor came to mind. Or even Estate.

"Newt..." Tina started, but she didn't really know what to say at the sight in front of her.

He appeared to be rather embarrassed when she turned to look at him with eyes wide and mouth open. "I know, it's rather... a bit too much," he mumbled with colour rising high in his cheeks.

And wasn't that an understatement. A grand old building of two high stories and numerous windows rose before them with some more equally old buildings off to both sides. It was made from yellowish bricks, turned slightly darker with age, and had a steep slate-tiled roof with quite a few chimneys and dormer windows protruding. Vines and ivy were growing between and around the huge panelled windows and oriels and gave the building an even more ancient feel. But looked very well cared for, not crumbling or neglected.

The gravel road brought them directly in front of a wide stairway of few low steps that led up towards the main entryway. A richly carved double door of dark wood with inset stained glass windows, nestled between two columns of the same stone as the building itself. Newt rang the doorbell, and just a second later the door was already being opened. Apparently they had been expected.

"Newton!" An elderly lady, not pat her sixties, greeted him enthusiastically and enveloped Newt in a tight hug. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but let her get on with it anyway. "Welcome home."

"Mother. Hello." She took a step back from her son and looked at Tina now with an equally enthusiastic smile.

"And who might your guest be?" she inquired curiously. She had the same green-blue eyes as Newt, Tina noticed. Her long grayish hair still held a few reddish streaks and was pulled back into a bun.

"Mother, this is Porpentina Goldstein. She is an Auror with MACUSA in New York." He smiled at her. "Tina, I'd like you to meet my mother. Gracia Scamander."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Scamander," Tina said and held out her hand in greeting.

"Hello, dear. Call me Gracia, please." She shook her hand and continued to speak. "It's so nice to meet a friend of Newt's. He's not very prone to bring guests with him, you see. If he deigns to visit us at all, that is." She threw a slightly accusing glance over to Newt at her last words.

"Mother," Newt interrupted her with an impish smile and a look at Tina.

 _Wait, is he really going to do this here?_ Tina wondered. They were not even in the house yet!

"Tina is not exactly a friend of mine," Newt continued, still with that crooked smile. 

Yes, he was doing it here and now. They really should have planned this properly in advance, and most importantly: together. _Too late now_.

Gracia's eyebrows shot up at Newt's words and his face turned a lovely hue of pink as he continued. "I... uhm, I'd like you to meet my fiancée," he spoke, carefully wrapping in arm around Tina's waist to pull her a little closer to him. And Tina couldn't help but smile shyly at the introduction. _Fiancée._ It still felt so unreal, even though it had been more than three weeks now since he had asked her to marry him.

"Fiancée?" the older witch inquired, a tinge of disbelieve in her voice. And Tina could already see herself being thrown out of the house and asked to leave, even though she hadn't even entered it yet.

"Yes, Mother. Tina and I are engaged," Newt said, proud and confident instead of hesitant and mumbling as she might have expected him to do. He smiled at her now with eyes full of happiness.

Gracia looked with a shocked expression from Newt to Tina and back again, before a huge smile broke out on her face.

"Oh, Newt. Engaged!" She enveloped him in another one of her hugs before she turned to Tina and hugged her too. It felt very warm and welcoming, if a little tight. "I have to correct myself, it seems. It is _wonderful_ to meet you, Porpentina."

She took a step back once again and clapped her hands together in childlike glee, much the way Queenie would have done. The resemblence of her excited smile to that of an excited Newt was uncanny, though.

"Oh, what wonderful news! Come on inside, please, there's no need to catch our deaths out here. I'm so terribly sorry to have kept you out on the threshold for so long. Where _are_ my manners today?" Tina grinned as she followed the woman inside the house. Rambling and unneccessary apologies. Another point on the list of traits Newt got from his mother.

Gracia led them into a grand entrance hall that housed an enormous Christmas tree in front of a wide marble fireplace. Tina stared at the dimensions of it all.

Still carrying both ot their suitcases, Newt walked just one step behind her. "It is rather humongous, don't you think?" he spoke in a low voice and chuckled with what sounded like embarrassment. She silently agreed with him, but kept that thought to herself for the time being. Despite the oversized proportions it was still tastefully decorated in red and silver ornaments and glittering little snow flakes. It was beautiful.

A house-elf had appeared from nowhere and was silently waiting to take their coats.

"Hello, Crad," Newt greeted him before taking off his coat. "How are you? How is Molly and the little ones?"

"Welcome home, Master Newton," the creature answered him and took the coat from Newt's hands. "We're all fine, thank you for asking. Did you have a good trip to America?"

"Yes, I did. And I'd like you to meet Tina, my fiancée." Tina felt a little rush of happiness when he introduced her as his fiancée, again. _Still not used to it._

"Welcome to Scamander Manor, Miss Tina," Crad the house-elf greeted her. "May I take your coat?"

"Oh, sure." She was also not used to see house-elves being so polite about doing their jobs, New York house-elves were quite gruff and sneering by default. She almost felt bad burdening Crad with her heavy winter coat as Newt had helped her out of it.

"Thank you, Crad. I'll take the cases up myself, though." Newt nodded at him and then turned back to his mother, who had been waiting at the foot of a staircase off to the right.

"I asked Molly to prepare a guest room of course. When Newt wrote that he would bring company for Christmas, actual human company that is, we were all quite thrilled. If only I had known _who_ he would be bringing, there would have been a very different welcome entirely!" She chuckled. _So Newt had been right about the reception._ "But nevermind that now. Let's get you settled."

They walked up the carpeted stairs and turned left down a corridor illuminated by magical lights. She turned to Tina with a smile as she stopped in front of the second door to the left. "Molly prepared the blue room for you, Porpentina. I hope you'll find it to your liking."

"Thank you, I'm sure I will. I just spend five days on a steam ship crossing the Atlantic, any room with a steady floor is good enough for me right about now."

Newt's mother laughed out loud at that. "Oh, I'll definitely like you!" she said with a grin, then asked both of them: "How about I'll meet you two for tea in twenty minutes?"

"Sounds lovely, Mother. Thank you," Newt answered beside her.

Gracia nodded and elegantly turned to move back down the hallway and stairs to vanish somewhere inside the Manor. There were a lot of rooms here.

"Well, this is you, then." Newt moved to open the door and let her step inside. It was a lovely room with a canopy bed, a vanity and a wardrobe all made from dark wood. The canopy, drapings and the part of the walls were held in a beautiful dark blue with golden ornaments and two big windows looked out over the garden behind the house. Far off, she could see the original meadow and forest Newt had recreated in his suitcase.

Newt had followed her in to put down her suitcase at the foot of the bed. "Uhm, I'll just be two doors down from you, the last room on the left." He smiled at her, then turned to leave but spoke again when he reached the door. "I should be back in about fifteen minutes and then we'll go and have tea with my mother, alright?"

Tina nodded absently at his words, still admiring her new surroundings. He silently closed the door and left Tina to herself. And suddenly she felt quite a bit overwhelmed by everything.

In the thirteen months she had known him now, Tina would never have guessed that Newt grew up in an environment like this. A posh house in the English countryside. No, a Manor. Scamander Manor, probably home to this family for the last five or so generations at least. And there were at least two house-elf servants around. Tina was not prepared for this kind of grandeur at all.

 _I'll never fit in here,_ she desperately thought while taking in her guest room once more. It was almost as large as her own appartment. And far more elegantly furnished with the dark polished woods and goldthread ornaments dotted about. Even the small fireplace in this room was bigger than the one back home and already filled with a roaring fire against the December cold.

But Tina also remembered the nervous energy and outright embarrassment Newt seemed to emanate when they had approached and entered the house. The man she had gotten to know over the past year was not a man who enjoyed being fussed over, she knew, and prefered simpler things in life. He lived in a sparse one-room-space inside his suitcase while traveling the world, which it seemed he had been doing for the better part of the last five years at least. Maybe he didn't fit in here, either. Being home for any family gathering made him feel uncomfortable, he had once written her.

It was only for a few days, Tina reminded herself. After that it would be London, and then some place called Hogsmeade. She was an Auror, she could do this. She'd manage and do her best to leave a good impression and maybe this would not end too badly after all.

A soft knock on the door ripped her from her thoughts.

"Tina, may I come in?" Newt. Had it been that long already? She hadn't even gotten out of her shoes.

"Just a minute, I'm not ready yet." She threw her case on the bed and looked through its depths for something suitable to wear, but nothing seemed right for this... environment.

"Newt, what does one wear around here for tea with the mother-in-law-to-be?" Her voice sounded a bit more desperate than she would have liked.

There was a chuckle on the other side of the door. "Whatever you're comfortable in will be fine, Tina."

Tina nodded. She decided on a simple outfit: dark trousers, a light blue blouse and a grey cardigan. It's what she felt most comfortable in. It would have to do.

She used her wand to freshen up a bit and then opened the door to see Newt leaning against the wall just opposite. He smiled and nodded in approval. "Yes, that will definitely do. There's only one more thing..."

He took her left hand in his and pointed his wand at it, murmering a spell that would lift the Concealment Charm they had agreed to place on her engagement ring for the arrival (the only thing they had actually agreed on in advance). Newt kissed the back of her hand, then placed a small peck on her lips and grinned happily at her. "Now we can go."

Tina nodded and with a steadying breath took the hand Newt offered her. It was time to face the motherly inquiry. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short (by comparison) but I had to split this in two at some point... we'll have the actual 'motherly inquiry' next chapter, a bit of fluff and we'll see a new side of Newt. 
> 
> Since you seem to like pictures so much, I'll give you some inspirations for Scamander Manor:  
>    
> And yes, I really do believe that Newt comes from such a posh background... his mother canonically bred fancy Hippogriffs for crying out loud. That's not exactly something to call a middle class pastime, is it?  
> So be prepared for a bit more of 'Fantastic Beasts meets Downton Abbey' during their stay with the family.


	17. Meeting the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina meets Newt's parents.

Together they walked back along the lit corridor and down the carpeted stairs into the entrance hall. This time, with Newt by her side and his hand wrapped firmly around hers, Tina had a bit more thought and leisure to look around the place.

Dominating the hall was the huge Christmas tree, dark green fir beautifully decorated in red and silver, places in front of an enormous fireplace with low flames burning inside. Said chimney was certainly high enough and wide enough the swallow an entire person.

Bouquets of fir, holly and red ribbons were dotted around the dark wood balustrades of the staircase and the open part of the upstairs corridor overlooking the entrance hall. It looked all very festive, and also very imposing to Tina.

Newt led her right at the bottom of the stairs and squeezed her hand softly before they passed through a wooden door on the right side of the fireplace. They entered what appeared to be a living room.

It was a room about half the size of the entrance hall and much lighter in colour then the dark woods and heavy brocade drapings on the other side of that door. The walls here were light in colour, one of them lined with a few filled bookcases, another held two medium-sized paintings of beautiful landscapes of hills and the sea. Across from them a set of white panelled french doors led out onto a patio and a number of windows framed by brownish-grey curtains gave a great view of the garden with its hibernal flowerbeds and a dormant water fountain.

The righthand corner of the room housed another Christmas tree, this one much smaller though and decorated in silvers and whites. The corner to their left was occupied by a wooden piano, comfortably nestled between the bookcases and curtained windows. Two cushioned sofas faced each other in the middle of the room, right in front of the brightly lit fireplace and separated by a low table.

It was quite warm and inviting in here, still grand but less imposingly so in Tina's eyes. Newt too seemed a little more comfortable in here than out there as he stood patiently beside her and watched her take in the new surroundings. They smiled at each other shortly as their eyes met.

"Thank you, Molly," Mrs. Scamander said from her place on the couch and took a levitating tray of tea from the air to arrange it on the table. A female house-elf clad in a brightly coloured tea-towel had just brought it in.

"Molly, hello!" Newt greeted the elf as he walked them from their place at the door to the middle of the room. "You look well, today."

"Master Newton! So nice to have you back," she replied in a highpitched voice and curtsied with a blush before leaving the room in a hurry. She was probably busy with cooking a dinner or something, Tina thought. And highly embarrassed by Newt's compliment.

"Ah, there you are. Right on time, too!"

They took a seat on the couch just opposite the older woman, who was currently busy preparing all of them a cup of tea.

"How do you like it, dear?" It took Tina a moment to realise that Gracia had asked for her preference concerning tea, not how she enjoyed being here. She was suddenly quite nervous again.

"Oh, uhm, just a bit of sugar, please." Gracia smiled and handed her a delicate cup of tea on a saucer before sitting down herself. She smiled at both of them.

"So..." she started slowly. "How long have you been keeping this from me, Newton?"

Newt took a sip of his tea before answering her. "Do you mean meeting Tina or proposing to her?" he asked in return. Tina chuckled softly at the cheek of his reply. He looked very easy and comfortable right now, the same way Tina had so far only associated with being around his creatures.

His mother laughed. "Both, I guess."

"Well, we got engaged about three weeks ago. Just before I wrote you that letter, in fact." Gracia nodded. "Why don't you tell the lovely story of how we met, Tina?" Newt now looked at her with another impish smile.

"Oh, uhm." Tina thought for a moment on how to phrase that particular story... and which parts to better leave out completely. While being rescued from certain death in a potion might be considered romantic by some, Newt probably wouldn't want his mother to know about the fact that he was supposed to go in next.

"Well, we met when Newt came to visit New York last year. I, uh, tried to arrest him after one of his creatures caused mayhem in a bank." She chuckled at the woman's eyes widening in amused disbelief, and continued her tale in a similar fashion. "He also broke the International Statute of Secrecy while he was at it, lost his case to a No-Maj, eh, Muggle who opened it of course. We had quite the adventure together while trying to recapture his escaped creatures."

"Only you, Newt..." Gracia spoke with an amused twinkle in her eye and chuckled.

"No official charges were made against him, though, since he also saved the day later on," Tina continued as she quickly looked over to Newt, "or rather averted the complete exposure of wizardkind in America, before returning back to England to write on his book."

"Ah, was that the New York incident Theseus has mentioned?" the older witch inquired from her son.

Newt nodded with a little blush on his cheeks. "Yes, that one."

Gracia nodded again and took a careful sip from her tea cup before speaking again. "I don't think you have been to America these last months to study new creatures for your book, Newt, have you?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

Newt turned crimson at her words and cleared his throat before answering his mother's question in the most stilted manner imaginable. "No... I have not, Mother. Although I, eh, do consider Tina to be a most magical creature herself, those studies will definitely _not_ be published. Absolutely not." _Wait, what?_

"Did you take actual notes on me?" Tina asked him with disbelief.

Newt's answer lay in the absence of words, averted eyes and an awkward little smile into his tea cup. It was enough for her to know that yes, he had. Tina didn't know whether to laugh out loud or be angry at him, but somehow tended instinctively towards the latter. A prickly exterior was her first defense and she felt like she had a right to be offended by this. She was not one of his beasts, after all.

And yet, another part of her understood that Newt had just done what he knew best to be able to understand her better: study her like the newly encountered magical creature she was to him. Getting to know her the Newt Scamander way, so to speak. Tina may not be a beast, but she had held his attention just as much... if not even longer. And being called a 'magical creature' by someone acutely fascinated with magical creatures should be considered a compliment, right?

"Can I see them some day?" she asked, much softer now as her flaring chagrin had vanished again. Newt turned to look at her with surprise. Clearly this was not what he had expected to hear. But there was a slight nod from him in answer as he cleared his throat and Tina felt herself smile lovingly at the wizard by her side. The man she loved so dearly, not in spite but because of his numerous eccentricities. Study notes and all. And he smiled back at her in his endearingly awkward way he used when overcoming a bit of uncertainty.

"Uhm, I spent just over a year courting Tina," Newt finally told his mother in a low voice, "That is, counting the many months we only corresponded through letters. Which I rather do." He turned to look at Tina now and continued. "But I don't think you actually realised what I was trying to go about until that day at Central Park, did you?"

Tina chuckled softly at the memory, the hesitant way he'd asked her to take a walk with him and her strongly increased confusion afterwards. "I really didn't. And even then part of me still wouldn't believe it for a while." They shared another smile as Newt placed his hand on hers lying between them on the couch.

"Well, you still agreed to marry me, so I must have done something right at some point..."

Tina smiled. "You certainly did. And I think that keeping your promise to personally bring me a book was the first and most important." Newt stared at her again in wonder. _Surely he must have known that, right?_

As she leaned forward to pick up her tea from the table, Tina noticed Gracia smiling brightly and happily behind the hand she held over her mouth, her eyes seemed just the tiniest bit watery after the exchange she just witnessed. And they widened slightly when she noticed the ring now visible on Tina's hand as it brought the cup of tea to her face with her left.

"My mother's ring," she whispered, then looked at Newt in wonder. "You gave her Nana's ring."

Newt smiled and nodded. "I did. Just as she intended all those years back, I guess."

Gracia shook her had and smiled even brighter now. "She gave that to you ages ago. I didn't even know you still had it."

"What exactly would I have done with it, Mother?" Newt wondered in confusion. "It's been at Gringott's ever since I left here, just until I went to New York in August... so for about the last eleven years."

"Well... I just assumed... I mean, I hadn't seen it after you left for... and then all those travels after. You'd have been in need of some money for that." Her face had turned quite pink now, probably embarrassed of what she had offhandedly assumed about her son. "Well, that's not so much a problem anymore I guess," she mumbled.

Newt raised an eyebrow at his mother but didn't say anything in answer. An uncomfortable silence arose as they all took a sip from their tea cups.

The older woman finally cleared her throat. "Well, it looks absolutely wonderful on you, Tina. I... I can call you that, can't I?"

"Of course you can, Gracia. I actually prefer it."

"Well, good then." She took another sip of her tea and smiled again. "So, you work for MACUSA Newt said?"

"Yes, I do," Tina answered, anxious to get rid of that unpleasant silence. "I'm an Auror for the Magical Investigations Department."

"Oh, that sounds interesting! What is it you do there?"

Tina wondered for a moment about that question. Seeing as her oldest son was an Auror himself, she should already know... but she answered her all the same. They continued to talk about her life in New York and what the wizarding community in America was like. Newt piped up every now and then when he thought that Tina might be selling herself and her accomplishments just a little short. But otherwise it was mostly just Gracia Scamander getting to know her future daughter-in-law, and a little vice-versa.

Tina found out, that before marrying Perseus Scamander, an upcoming employee of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and later quite unanticipated heir of the Scamander Family, Newt's mother used to work at a shop called 'Magical Menagerie' in London. It caused her to chuckle since 'Magical Menagerie' was pretty much the first term she had labelled the inside of Newt's suitcase with, all those many months ago. It still applied.

Gracia also shared the love for beasts and creatures with her son. Her breeding of Hippogriffs had started as a pastime, helping out an acquianted breeder while her husband was busy at work and then taking on the herd herself after the owner became unable to tend to them himself any longer.

Tina knew too well the excited expression on her face as Gracia talked about her beloved beasts. Newt definitely came after his mother. Tina liked her, and it very much seemed that the feeling was mutual.

As it was getting darker outside there was a whooshing sound in the wall behind their lit fireplace, then a loud coughing could be heard from the entrance hall. A minute later the door behind them abruptly opened to an older gentleman in a blue suit-like robe and grey waistcoat, hair almost white with age and precisely trimmed to a point. He looked at them in astonishment for a second, than the expression of surprise vanished and was replaced by something a little more patronising. Tina didn't like it.

"Ah, the lost son has returned for his obligatory visit to the family," the man, Tina assumed him to be Newt's father, spoke. "And he's even brought company. How quaint."

"Perseus, please," Gracia said in a stern tone. She gestured towards Tina and continued with an excited smile. "This is Tina Goldstein, Newt's fiancée."

Tina wanted to greet him but stopped herself. Perseus Scamander looked at them both with a frown, from Newt to herself and back again to his son... and then he let out a bellowing laugh.

"Your fiancée? Right. That's a good one, boy." He went on and left the room through another door on the right, shaking his head in amusement at the apparent 'joke' his wife had just told him.

Tina was confused. She looked back over to Gracia, who seemed a little put out by her husband's reaction to what she had called 'such wonderful news' just a bit earlier, but she also seemed to be not overly surprised at it.

Newt on the other hand had turned an interesting mix of crimson and white next to her and he seemed... upset, to put it mildly. His fingers were digging deeply into the arm of the couch as he focussed his eyes on the bookcase at the wall in front of him, jaw clenching. His breath was very controlled, as if he had to deliberately keep himself calm. His grip on her hand had grown just the smallest bit tighter than before. Tina had never seen him like this before.

"Newt, darling. Why don't you let go of the upholstery?" his mother said in a strange tone, overly bright but laced with confusion. Newt's hand unclenched slightly, but otherwise he remained in his rigid posture.

"What was-?" Tina tried to ask them, but she was interrupted by the woman in front of her.

"Newt and his father never got along very well, Tina. Years of unresolved differences... But that is not my story to tell."

Tina nodded. She already had a notion before coming here that Newt was not very close to his father. He only ever talked about his mother where his parents were concerned and for a while she had even believed him to have passed away already... But he was very much alive, and not very likeable at this point.

"He's never reacted like this before, though," Gracia continued with a tinge of worry, looking at her son. _Is she referring to Newt or her huband now?_ Tina really couldn't say, having seen neither of them in a state like this before.

"There never was a reason to until now," Newt pressed out. _So Gracia had talked about him, then._ He looked directly at his mother as he continued. "I don't care what he thinks of me or my life choices, or the way he talks to me. But I will not let him belittle the woman I love in any way."

Gracia studied her son for a moment, then spoke with a soft smile. "Love always has a way of bringing out one's protective side, doesn't it? It's good to see that you have found someone to stand up for, Newt." Newt frowned, then nodded once. 

But Tina still was confused about the exchange. Was Newt always treated like this by his father? Like some... inapt schoolboy, a fool to talk down to? That didn't sit right with Tina at all. 

Gracia moved to stand now, brushing invisible lint from her blouse and skirt before speaking again. "If you don't mind, I should go and see how dinner is coming along. We'll eat at seven. I'm sure Newt would love to show you around the house until then, Tina." She gave both of them a warm look. "It is so lovely to have the two of you here."

Gracia Scamander smiled at them one last time and left the room through the same door her husband had vanished. Tina didn't know what lay behind it, but one thing was for sure: Dinner would be an interesting affair.

 

* * *

 

And it turned out, that Tina was right. At precisely 7:00pm the four of them were seated around a large and fancily decorated table in an even larger and fancier decorated dining room in another part of the Manor.

Tina would probably need a map to navigate this house by herself, there were so many different rooms, most of which seemed to be completely unneccessary. There was a sitting room and a drawing room, both of which seemed to have the same purpose. The dining room and a seperate breakfast room, quite absurd since no one Tina knew would spend much time on a lengthy breakfast anyway to warrant a special room for it. There was a huge library taking up a big part of the right wing of the Manor. Tina had liked that room the most so far with the smell of well-kept old books and the many comfortable-looking reading places. Newt had also told her it was the usual hide-out for his father, which probably made it off-limits to her.

Newt also showed her the kitchen downstairs, basically underground level, and the house-elves Molly and Crad were both busy at work there preparing dinner with their two eldest and an ancient-looking female house-elf helping out. Tina and Newt were politely thrown out after a quick look around, so as to not be underfoot.

Afterwards Newt told her the very heartwarming story of the couple. Apparrently Molly had been one of Newt's early rescue cases while he worked at the House-Elf Relocation Office, and was taken in by his mother at his insistence. She and Crad, who came from a long line of house-elves happily working for the Scamanders, had hit it off right away and after a long while of hesitating on both sides, a new match made in heaven came to be... Tina felt a little reminded of their own story.

And now here they were, eating the delicious food they had seen being prepared not too long ago.

The older Mr. Scamander was playing nice for the time, it seemed. During and after dinner he asked all sorts of interested questions about Tina and her life in general. How old was she? Where did she come from? How did she meet Newt? What did she do for a living? And what about her family.

Newt remained quite silent throughout the entire dinner, only replying when absolutely neccessary or directly addressed by his mother (his father hadn't spoken another word to him so far). He was watching and listening intently, though. Tina hadn't seen him this quiet and brooding at a dinner table since that first night at her flat, back when she still thought him to be a dangerous criminal in need of arresting while he was nothing but concerned for the wellbeing of his creatures. Now, it seemed, he was concerned for her wellbeing, ready to jump in defence at the first sign of disapproval or ridicule towards Tina.

Newt's father seemed particularly surprised to hear about her job as an Auror, investigating and arresting out in the fields with her colleagues. _Are there no women working for the British Auror Offices?_ she couldn't help but wonder but didn't voice that question just yet. Tomorrow she would meet Newt's brother Theseus, Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. She would much rather get her answers from the Auror himself.

Her repeated narration of how Tina met Newt was awarded by the elder Scamander with a raised eyebrow intended for his son. Newt tensed visibly in that moment, apparently waiting for some kind negative commentary that would usually accompany the facial expression. But it didn't come and Newt gradually relaxed again as conversation went on.

Tina suspected that Gracia had had a word her husband after his display in the living room, since the overly patronising manner towards Newt (and also her by extension) had gone for now and been replaced with polite curiosity towards the unknown 'Miss Goldstein'.

Tina couldn't help but wonder if it was always like this for Newt when he visited his parents: warm smiles and hugs from his mother and few but overly condescending words from his father. It would certainly explain his usual reluctance to come here.

She wondered what had happened for them to act like this around each other. If it was just one certain 'life choice' or a number of smaller things to drive them so far apart, or if it was anything at all but the simple difference in their natures, opposing as they seemed to be to Tina. Stern and commanding Mr. Scamander, working dutifully for the Ministry of Magic and making a great career out of it, on the one side and on the other Newt, easygoing explorer and enthusiast of magical wildlife without any such aspirations.

Tina couldn't really draw from her own experience, but she imagined that might be a possible explanation.

She was more than hesitant to ask, though.

 

* * *

 

Shortly after a tense (for him) dinner Newt had taken Tina outside to one of the stables and shown her his mother's Hippogriffs, something they didn't get done before dinner as Tina had needed some time to light the candles on her menorah. He had missed these beautiful creatures, and some of them had been with the herd for as long as he could remember. He greeted the older beasts as old friends.

A young had hatched not long ago and Tina had become quite infatuated with the little winged creature, that still was not too stable on its legs. The baby's mother thankfully knew him well enough to trust him and therefore also to trust Tina, so they could come near the nest and have a closer look. It was a beautiful scene before him, his Tina surrounded by and playing with the beasts he had known his entire life.

Newt would try to introduce his mother to Ray some time tomorrow, hopeful that the rescued Hippogriff would learn to trust her in the few days that they had planned to stay at the Manor. He had already started to change the climate of the Hippogriff's habitat in his case to that of a wintry England so that the imminent transition would be a little easier on the creature. Newt very much wanted for him to join a herd again, and there was no better place for it than his mother's stables. Ray would have to be isolated from the others for a little while, but by summer he should be among the others if all went well.

With daylight gone it had become quite cold outside now. So, soon after leaving the stables for the night Newt and Tina stood in the living room and next to the roaring fireplace to warm up again.

"How do you like it here so far?" Newt inquired casually. He had seen that his father's antics this afternoon and at dinner did not have much of an effect on her and was very glad of it. But it did not mean she would enjoy staying here for the next few days.

"It's alright," she answered him. "A little more.... grand than I expected." Newt chuckled softly. It had been quite obvious that she was a bit intimidated at first about the size and pomp of it all. A bit of preparation would probably have been a good idea, but that thought had come too late, as it were, when they were already approaching his childhood home from the trees.

"I like your mother," Tina continued unaware of his musings. "She reminds me a lot of you, you know."

Newt chuckled again. "That is generally what people say. I look and act like my mother, Theseus comes more after our father." He studied her face know, the light of the fire dancing on it with dark shadows and an orange glow. She was smiling into the flames. "So, you are okay with staying here at the Manor?" he asked, then added softly, "I meant what I said back at my cabin on the ship. If you feel you want to leave, we'll leave."

She turned to look at him now, flames reflecting in her beautiful brown eyes. "Yes, I remember. And I'd like to stay for now. I still have to meet your brother after all... the famous war hero Theseus Scamander."

Newt laughed at the ridiculous tone of voice in which she uttered that last sentence. "Tina, you have no idea how happy it makes me to have you here with me."

"Then tell me?" she suggested with a grin.

Newt smirked at her. "I'd really rather like to kiss you now, my love."

And kiss they did. The came together in a close embrace still standing in front of the fire, lips meeting quite enthusiastically. They hadn't shared more than a few chaste pecks that day.

It turned slow and intense rather soon though, just the way they both seemed to like it best, lips sucking and tongues sliding while being wrapped up in each other. Tina's hand clutched at his waistcoat not far above his hips, the other placed high on his back as his own arms were wrapped around her waist, her shoulders, holding on tightly.

They had gotten quite good at this over time, driving each other close to loosing themselves without actually crossing that line. Well, there was one memorable instance not too long ago where he had enjoyed their activities just a bit too much, and embarrassed himself greatly in the process... He was still trying to decide on a way to make that up to her and possibly... reciprocate. Even though she insisted on being okay with what happened.

Maybe they could try and take things just a little further soon... Newt would never say this out loud but it had been a secret desire of his to see Tina lose herself completely in pleasure. He'd like to help her get there.

But for now, they just kissed.

Until a not so discreet cough caused them to quickly break apart again.

"Oh, don't mind me," his father said as he made his way to the other side of the room shaking his head. They hadn't even heard the door opening nor footsteps approaching, they had been so caught up in each other. Newt's face heated to what feet like an impressive crimson at being caught out like this by a parent. And his father of all people! His strict and disapproving father, endowed with a more stern and Victorian attitude than probably that muggle queen Victoria herself. This would not end good.

"Father!" he started, desperately searching for some kind of explanation for his rather indecent behaviour. No matter that he was a grown man and therefore in no need to explain himself for kissing his fiancée. But he was interrupted by his father's deep voice before anything came to mind.

"Well, Newton. At least I find _you_ with your fiancée and not some trollop from Knockturn Alley or Merlin knows where else." He smirked in an undecipherable way. "Couldn't say that about your brother." He walked past them and called back over his shoulder. "You'll find more privacy upstairs, I'd say. Good night." Then he vanished into the library with a glass of Firewhisky in his hand.

Newt didn't know what to think at that moment. Or do. He was mortified. And confused. So confused. But there was one thing that had clearly filtered through the muddle of thoughts in his mind.

"Did he just call me a trollop?" Tina whispered behind him. Newt apparently had unconsciously stepped in front of her when his father came near them. He was forming quite a few new protective habits today...

Newt had turned back around to face her now and shook his head at her question. "No Tina, my father just called you my fiancée." A word Perseus Scamander had actively avoided to use all evening, finally acknowledged. Newt smiled at her. "I think he just approved of you, my love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here we are. The parents are met and a certain brother will be next. And it's gonna be Christmas again, too!  
> Tell me what you think? :) 
> 
> I know I told some of you about possibly a bit of 'higher rating neccessary' stuff for number 17, but I decided to postpone that for a bit and get the family stuff out of the way first. But... it's definitely coming (no pun intended).


	18. A Night to Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Chrstmas Eve at Scamander Manor and Tina Goldstein meets the big brother, Theseus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did some edits in this chapter to include and embrace the fact that Tina is Jewish. The story stayed the same though ;)

Newt had told her that it was a tradition for the Scamanders to have a family dinner together on Christmas Eve. Then they would all spend the night at the Manor and start Christmas Day together with tea and scones while opening the presents before moving on to a festive Christmas Dinner around noon. And Tina was actually looking forward to attending this traditional family celebration with Newt. 

Of course they were late. Very late, at least for the drinks Perseus Scamander insisted on serving before the evening dinner. Tina and Newt had been down in his case, tending to a few of the more time-sensitive creatures who would not appreciate their schedule being disrupted by the lengthy family dinner Newt anticipated. Dougal had for some reason been particularly clingy tonight and would not let them leave the case when they had planned to, hence the tardiness.

They rushed into the living room where the others were already present, the two ladies sitting on the couch and the men standing in front of the fire, all with drinks in hand and talking. That is how she met Theseus Scamander and his wife Arabella.

"Evening, Newton," her fiancé was greeted by his brother. He had entered the room first with Tina directly behind him, though partly hidden by his body and the slightly more elegant robes he had donned for the occasion.

"Theseus. Arabella." Newt nodded in greeting towards both of them, but left it at that. _Not much love there either,_ Tina couldn't help but think.

Then the brother's eyes fell on her as Newt moved forward. "And who might this be, little brother?" His gaze had gotten a bit of a leering quality, which Tina immensely despised. Nevertheless she walked up to stand next to Newt in front of the fire and held her hand out in greeting. _Be nice and meet the family._

"I'm Tina Goldstein, Newt's-"

"Ah, and you must be the guest my brother so unexpectedly announced. I'm Theseus Scamander," he said with a broad smile, then bowed low over her extended hand and kissed it (actually kissed it!) in a very exaggerated manner, trying to act the gentleman despite rudely interrupting her just a few moments before. "Very pleased to meet you, Miss Goldstein."

There was that leer again. Tina ripped her hand from his as if she had been burned by the touch and instinctively stepped a little closer to Newt. Who wore quite the stony expression now.

"She's soon to be Mrs. Scamander, dear Theseus. Tina is Newt's fiancée!" Gracia announced happily from behind his back. The older woman had gotten up from the couch to greet her and Newt with her customary hug. Tina already felt a little better afterwards and even more so when Newt took a hold of her hand between them. She was not alone in this.

"Fiancée?" Theseus Scamander asked with confusion overly clear in his voice and looked at his brother. "When did you get engaged, Newt?" He paused for a second. "More importantly, who'd agree to marry _you_?"

Newt didn't look particularly affected by his words, but Tina felt affronted for both herself and her fiancé. _Pompous ass._ "I would, Mr. Scamander," she said harshly and cold. "And I did, just three weeks ago."

Theseus chuckled with amusement at her statement, then gave his brother a pat on the back. "I didn't think you had it in you, Newt. Going off and getting yourself a pretty American girl to marry... and a feisty one, too."

Newt's face attempted something like a smile, but ended up pulling a slightly annoyed grimace. "She's not just a 'pretty American girl', Theseus. She's an Auror for MACUSA, Major Investigations Department."

"Is that so?" He smirked at Tina now. "I didn't think they'd let pretty things like you work in the Auror Offices over there... at least not as an actual Auror."

Tina put on a fake smile, one that did definitely not reach her eyes, before answering. "Oh, I assure you that I very much work there, Mr. Scamander." She realised that this man was just like any other oldfashioned wizard, prejudiced against women and believing them to be nothing more than a pretty skirt and future home maker instead of able to work for a living like any other person. There were more of those where he came from, the Auror Offices around the world. Tina had had her fair share of that kind of Auror already. She wouldn't have expected Newt's own brother to be one of those, though.

And there was that leer again, as if he were already undressing her with his eyes. Tina disliked this man utterly, and dinner hadn't even started yet.

"Well, now that we're finally all present," Newt's father chuckled, "I think we can go over to have dinner. You won't mind, Newt, hm? Since you're not much of a drinker anyway."

"Lead the way, Father," Newt answered flatly and they followed the elder Mr. Scamander through the door to the left and into the dining room, which had been set for six tonight.

Always the gentleman, Newt pulled out a chair for Tina before seating himself next to her on the same side of the table. Theseus and Arabella both set on the other side with Perseus and Gracia at the opposing ends.

Their meal started off with a soup. And unlike last night it would actually be kosher, Newt had assured her. 

 

* * *

 

"So Miss Goldstein," Theseus started again in a more civil manner with his wife by his side, "have you seen much of England yet?"

"Not yet," Tina answered, equally civil. "We just arrived yesterday and came straight here from Southampton. We've got plans to go to London though, and see Hogwarts of course." She had explicit orders from Queenie to write a detailed comparison to Ilvermorny, just to settle their dispute over the question of which school was the best wizarding school in the world, once and for all.

"Ah, the Grand Tour of Wizarding Britain, then. Looking for a place to settle down too, I imagine?"

"I don't think that's the plan," Tina said, but with a slightly uncertain look in Newt's direction. This was something they had not talked about yet. Where would they go after getting married? England or America?

"That's definitely not the plan, no," Newt spoke to her, then continued for the others to hear. "I believe we'll stay in New York for the time being. Uhm, there are still quite a number of creatures and beasts in North America I'd like to get a closer look at and study. And, eh, Tina has a sister and her work to return to, of course."

This was met with silence, a silence laden with so much disapproval it could be tasted in the air. Had they all expected for her to quit her job and move to England once she was married? Become a doting wife and mother and taking care of their home while Newt went out on his adventures? That would not happen. (At least not yet.) She had just barely gotten her job back, after all.

Tina realised she needed to have a serious talk with Newt about what their future would look like. So far they had been on cloud nine, being in love and freshly engaged without a care for any of these practical matters. And Tina did not like to be blindsided with questions like this. Questions she didn't have the answers to yet simply because they were not hers alone to answer.

"Well... as long as you both are happy it doesn't matter where you live, does it?" Gracia said to disperse the heavy silence around the table. "Anything in particular you want to study over there, Newt?"

And Newt enthusiastically started to talk about his potential new research into the magical creatures of North America. Tina was glad to hear all about it.

 

It was during the main course that Arabella Scamander, all blonde hair und fair skinned beauty, spoke to her for the first time. She was a quiet and reluctant kind of person, speaking in a soft voice and avoiding too much eye contact with the people around her. Her behaviour reminded Tina of Newt when they had first met, shy and skittish.

"May I ask... Goldstein. That is a Jewish name, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Tina answered with a smile. She had waited for this line of inquiry to be made, though it surprised her that silent Arabella was the one to bring it up.

"Do you even celebrate Christmas, then? As a Jewish person, I mean," she continued. 

"I do not, no. But that doesn't mean I can't be in attendance while your family is celebrating. It certainly wouldn't be my first Christmas either, since my father was Jewish but my mother was not. So my sister and I grew up with both cultures and faiths around, but we were raised to be Jewish. "  

Arabella nodded at her answer and seemed happy with it. Theseus followed up with another question, though. 

"You speak in the past tense. So your parents are dead?" he asked, and not too sympathetic either. "No other family?"

"No. It's just me and my sister Queenie. Our parents died from Dragon Pox when we were still kids and so did a big part of my father's family. My mother being, eh, Muggleborn means we have no other relations on that side... We were taken in by a distant aunt who passed not long after we both went to Ilvermorny." Gracia and Perseus knew this already, of course. Arabella became teary-eyed at her words, though.

"And you're working to support yourselves ever since you left school?" Theseus continued.

"Yeah, we're both working hard to afford living in New York. But neither of us would have it any other way. I love my job, and so does Queenie."

Theseus nodded in thought and closely watched her for the remainder of the dinner, raising a new question every now and then all through dinner. He seemed to have slipped into his Auror state of mind, Tina knew it too well. He treated her like a suspect. And it was shortly after dessert that she found out why.

 

Theseus cleared his throat when Molly and Crad had taken away their empty dishes of vanilla ice cream and strawberries. "Well, I hope you won't mind but I'll have to speak my mind on a few things now," Theseus said, then looked around to table and stopped at Newt. "I hate to say this, brother, but I don't think you should marry your Miss Goldstein."  _Wait, what?_

Newt, who had been in a rather agreeable and more relaxed mood since the dinner started, tensed visibly. "And why shouldn't I, _brother_?"

"She's not right for you." He paused for a moment, then continued with a smile. "It's obvious, don't you think? She's in it for the money. Your money to be precise. And that of the family too, I imagine."

"Money?" Tina asked incredulously. "You think I'm after money?" This was unbelievable! Newt beside her was clenchig his jaw again.

"Oh, don't play dumb, Miss Goldstein. You were there for the Incident in New York, that is where you met my brother, isn't it?" Tina was still too perplexed to answer.

"What are you on about, Theseus?" Perseus inquired instead, looking from Theseus to Tina and back again. Gracia seemed just as confused as he, and as Tina herself was.

"Miss Goldstein here was part of the investigative team after the incident with Grindelwald in New York, Father. I recognized the name from the reports. She had access to all files concerning Newt and his background back then, his family. He may not be  the heir but there's still a bit of an inheritance waiting after both you and mother have passed." Perseus frowned but didn't speak.

Tina was dumbfounded and looked at him with eyes wide and mouth open. Where in the name of Deliverance Dane did this come from?

"Theseus, stop it." Newt spoke with gritted teeth. His hand on the table was balled up, crushing the cloth napkin it had just moments ago been fiddling with.

"Why, Newt? We both know that you've made quite a bit of money from your book now. Publications around the world and going on a third reprint here in Britain, was it not? Certainly enough for your lovely Miss Goldstein to secure a livelihood for herself and her sister through this marriage and enjoy the sweeter things in life."

"Enough, Theseus..." But he continued despite Newt's warning tone.

"Orphaned at a young age, struggling to afford a living as by her own words... not an ideal situation for two women. It would have to be a good marriage for at least one of them."

"What are you saying, Mr. Scamander?" Tina now inquired of Newt's brother in the most level tone she could muster. She was shocked at these accusations, these insults to her character. Even in her wildest and most absurd imaginations of meeting Newt's family, something like this had not occurred to her. But she needed to hear him say it, say the word and make it real.

"I'm saying that you are a golddigger, Miss Goldstein." Gracia to her left sucked in a sharp breath. "You can admit it, you know. My little brother is not exactly the stuff a pretty girl dreams about, is he? Soft and gullible, unable to take a stand for himself... but he comes with a pretty penny. An easy target for the likes of you, I should say." He smirked now. "How did you do it? Complimented him on his work and got enthusiastic over his strange obsession with beasts until he just couldn't help but fall for you?" Another, more sinister smirk. "Or did you seduce my poor little brother with your female charms, Miss Goldstein? Am I maybe to expect a niece or nephew within the next six-?"

And with this Tina had heard enough. Anger flared through her but before she could even consider drawing her wand or think of anything to answer him, Newt had leaped up from the seat beside her.

" _SILENCIO!"_ he shouted in thundering voice, pointing his wand hand at his brother across the table. And Theseus had lost his voice mid-sentence, unable to finish any further insults even though Newt didn't even hold his wand in his hand. Theseus struggled to get up from his chair now, surprised at being rendered mute, but an invisible force held him back in place as Newt continued to point his open hand at him. He was using wandless magic against his brother. Powerful wandless magic.

"You..." Newt pressed out through gritted teeth. "You have no right. Absolutely no right. To say any of this!" He was bracing himself heavily onto the table now while still keeping his brother locked to his chair with his right hand. He radiated anger, power... a fierce protectiveness. "You don't know her even in the slightest. What she's been through. How hard she worked to be where she is now. Her past or her present, dreams and fears. And yet you think yourself able to deliver a judgement of her. A _wrong_ judgement." Perseus, Gracia and Arabella watched the scene unmoving and with wide eyes, as did Theseus since he could neither speak nor move at the moment. But Tina couldn't say if it was fear or astonishment on their faces at the sudden intense change in Newt. Tina had not seen it coming, either.

"Oh yes, you are right, _brother_. I do not stand up for myself around here since I see no reason to do so, you won't take me serious anyway. But there is nothing, _nothing_ , I would not do for this woman and her happiness."

Newt was breathing heavily now, eyes and hand still focussed on the mute and immobile wizard across him. He did not look well though, to be honest, and Tina felt worry grow inside her.

"I will not have you insult or slander her again, Theseus. Not you or anyone else. Do you hear me?"

Theseus nodded, the only movement he seemed to be allowed at the moment. As did Arabella and everyone else at the table, even though Newt's words were not aimed at them.

Newt's face was rapidly turning from an angry crimson to pale white now as his outstretched hand started to tremble.

"Newt?" Tina carefully placed her hand on his left, the one he used to brace himself on the dinner table. "Are you okay?" His focus wavered from his brother to her hand as he threaded their fingers together and held on to Tina, gently squeezing to let her know he was... something. He threw one last warning look at his brother, then lowered his wand hand and with it stopped the magical force that held his brother captive. Theseus still didn't dare to move, though.

Newt took a step back from the table and drew a deep, steadying breath before speaking lowly. "Mother, if you don't mind we'll leave the table now."

He didn't wait for a reply though, just glanced at Tina and turned around to leave the room with her hand still entwined in his. She didn't object, though. Tina had no mind to spend more time chatting over dinner. Not with Newt worked up into a state like this for her sake.

Wordlessly he led them back through the living room and out the French window doors onto the patio, down a few more steps into the garden. Away from his brother and into the cold night air.

 

* * *

 

A soft knock on the door signalled the arrival of a visitor. Newt, who had just gotten into bed, threw off the blankets again and approached the door barefoot. It was Tina who stood on the other side when he opened it, dressed in her green pyjamas and a matching dressing gown.

"May I come in?" she asked softly. Newt wordlessly stepped aside and let her enter his room. It was quite late and he hadn't thought for anyone to still be awake in this house. He wondered if she had come knocking before while he was... busy.

After leaving the dinner table and quite literally dragging her off into the garden to calm down again, he had spend some more time down in his case, going over the events of the evening and his actions against his brother while tending to the less time-sensitive creatures in silence. And alone.

"I didn't wake you again, did I?" she continued when he had closed the door behind her.

"No. I was just about to turn in for the night, though," Newt finally spoke. Not the he felt he could fall asleep yet. There were too many things on his mind. He still felt confused his display at the dinner table earlier, nervous. It was not like him, not at all, but in that moment something else had taken over. It worried him. _No, I really couldn't find sleep even if I tried._

"Would you mind if I join you?" Tina asked him in a hopeful voice.

Newt's worrying mind stuttered to a halt. "You- what?!" Surely he must have misheard her.

"I'd like to share a bed with you tonight," she repeated. "If you don't mind, that is."

No, apparently his ears had not played a trick on him. Tina wanted to spend the night in his bed, with him in it. Even after... everything.

"Uhm," was all he could manage to reply, his eyes focussed on the floor as they had mostly been doing since she had entered the room. Newt was conflicted. Any other night he probably would have gladly agreed to her (very forward) proposal. But tonight, after the way he lost control over his temper like that... _Why would she want to be alone with me?  
_

Tina chuckled softly at him. "We are engaged, you know? A little leeway and all that?" Newt swallowed as he remembered telling her exactly that on their voyage here, that night she had visited him in his cabin as she couldn't sleep. "I don't mean to do anything, Newt. Just sleep," she continued in a softer voice.

"A-Alright," he said in reply to her request and dared to look up at her again. There was that lovely smile on her face, the one he really didn't deserve tonight. He looked away again.

Then Tina moved and got into his bed, _his bed!,_ under the blankets and moved over to the far side so he could climb in next to her. There was a sight he would certainly not forget any time soon.

"Newt, you coming?" She looked at him expectantly and with an inviting smile. Oh yes, he should probably go and join her now, in bed. And also stop with the disbelieving stare.

Soon he was settled in just beside her, sharing the layers of blankets but not touching each other underneath them. This was uncharted territory for them. It had been an accident to fall asleep together on the bed in his cabin, but deliberately sharing a bed at night... something different entirely. Nervousness crept up at him.

Beside him Tina turned to lie on her side and face him with a smile. "Good night, Newt," she said in a low voice and closed her eyes to go to sleep.

"Good night," he replied mechanically, then with his wand extinguished the magical candles on the bedside table next to him.

It was dark now, but sleep wouldn't come to him. He lay on his back wide awake and wondered about what had driven Tina to come by this late. It must be past one at least, he had spent a long time in his case after their walk. Did she have trouble falling asleep again? Worrying about the events of the evening? It must be.

"Tina?" Newt whispered into the darkness of the room.

"Yes?" Her voice thankfully did not sound like he had just woken her up again.

"Is it Theseus or me?" he asked uncertainly. He needed to know what had kept her up, what worried her more. And a part of him dreaded the answer.

"What do you mean?"

Newt swallowed his dread to clarify. "The reason why you couldn't sleep. Is it what Theseus said or... what I did, that keeps you up?"

"Neither, Newt," she said a little louder now. "I'm here because of you."

She was here for him? "I don't understand."

Tina sat up now, he could feel the blankets shift and saw her outline against the window. He must have forgotten to draw the curtains before going to bed.

"I don't think you're okay, Newt," Tina explained in a soft voice. "You locked yourself inside your suitcase when I went to get changed out of those stuffy clothes before joining you down there. You never did that, lock me out I mean."

She was right, he never had barred his case while in New York, there was no reason for him to do so. Tonight on the other hand, he just needed to shut everything out for a while

"I'm sorry," he spoke. "I needed to be alone for a while. I... needed to think." Think. Panic. Worry. There had been a lot of that.

Tina didn't sound too angry at him when she answered. "Next time, could you just tell me that? So I won't have to worry?"

Newt nodded in the dark but stayed silent for a while, wondering if he should let her in, share his fears with her. She had a right to know the reasons for his... distance. Didn't she?

_Yes._

"I'm afraid, Tina," he mumbled into the darkness. It was always so much easier to talk to the darkness, with no one replying, no one judging. "I lost my temper and attacked my own brother. In front of my family. I-in front of you..." His voice faltered.

Tina moved to lean against the headboard or the bed now. "Well, he had it coming," she said."If it hadn't been you, I would have hexed him myself, you know? There's only so many insults I can take with a smile and a nod." 

Newt moved his hand to his wand and with a murmur relighted the candle, washing them in a warm and soft glow. He too sat up against the headboard now, knees drawn close to his body and arms crossed over them. He looked at Tina for a moment before averting his eyes again to stare at the blanket.

"I don't think you understand, Tina. I lost my temper and attacked someone close to me. Who is to say that won't happen again, with someone else... w-with you?" There, he said it. If she hadn't thought about that possibility before, she certainly would now. But her reaction was not what he had expected.

"I do understand, Newt. You lost your temper, yes. And that is okay, because from what I gathered it had been quite a while in the making with the way he's treating you." She touched a hand to his cheek and turned his head a little to face her. "Would you look at me, darling?" He did. How could he not when she asked him to. "You could never loose your temper like that with me because it happened _for_ me, for my sake, protecting someone you love." Newt slowly shook his head, but Tina didn't let him speak. "You're not a violent man, Newt. Even when you had the chance, and certainly the power, you didn't hurt Theseus but restrained him, shut him up for a bit. I can't say that I would have gone that easy on him given the chance."

"I just needed him to stop talking," Newt whispered. "I won't let anyone speak that way about you, to you. You're neither of those things he said."

"I know. And you know. Your mother knows, too. And so does your father, I think." She let her hand slide lower, rested it in the crook of his neck. A warm and comforting presence. "They both had a 'harsh word' with your brother concerning his behaviour, you know. After we left. Molly and Crad told me down in the kitchen. A few other things, too."

Newt closed his eyes in defeat. "I'll be next, then." He did not look forward to that conversation. Tonight might just have been the last straw before his father finally decided to disown him. Theseus always had been his favourite, after all.

"We'll see about that. Your reaction was nothing if not justified. Those were nasty things he said about me, and about you." Newt snorted silently. As if that mattered...

"Theseus is the golden boy, Tina, he's never in the wrong. Personal experience." He shook his head before he continued in a whisper. "I did actually expect him to want you for himself, try to seduce you away from me. He's always been quite a ladies man and still is from what I hear. But never did I expect... _that_. I wouldn't have brought you here if I did."

Tina simply nodded. They remained silent for a few moments with Newt leaning into her touch, the single hand on his neck. He hadn't known how much he needed it, just that one point of comforting, warm connection to another human being.

"Do you want to leave?" Tina asked him seriously, the same thing he had asked her just the night before.

Newt didn't reply immediately. Did he want to leave? Turn his back, take Tina and just go? And have another unresolved difference to add onto the pile? It had been bugging him for years to be honest, the fact that there just seemed to be no reasonable way of talking to the other men in his family, never being seen as their equal. He had simply given up on trying at some point. But maybe now was the time for a last effort... if only just to get a point across. That he would not back down in this.

"No," he finally answered, in a much more confident voice than he actually felt. "Unless you want us to leave, we should stay.... I'm tired of running."

"Okay."

Newt sank back down underneath the blankets again, lying on his back and ready to try with sleep again. Before he put out the flame of the candle, Tina had quickly followed his example, lying on her side again and facing him. Only this time close enough for Newt to wrap his arm around her and pull her a little closer. He fell asleep with Tina's head resting on his shoulder and a warm hand placed on his chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was all so lovely. Well... and then that happened.  
> Thoughts?


	19. Of Places Past, Present and Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one chapter with a bit of Christmas cheer, a bit of fluff and a lot of serious talking.

The Christmas Day celebrations started about es well as expected. They had all met up in the comfortable living room to have a late and light breakfast of tea and coffee, scones and small sandwiches.

But there was a tense silence between Newt and Theseus, neither openly acknowledging the other's presence but both watching each other wearily from the corner of their eyes. It seemed that Theseus had changed his mind concerning his brother's capabilities and didn't quite know what to make of the situation yet whereas Newt was waiting for some unpleasant reactions to last night's happenings. _At least they are behaving in a normal way around everyone else_ , Tina thought.

Christmas presents were given to all of them by Gracia, who tried her best to make light of the tense situation with a blinding smile and lots of Christmas spirit and cheer. Arabella was right up there with her concerning the blinding smiles, but otherwise did not speak much to anyone. Even her husband. Perseus was his silent and assessing self for the most part, but didn't think it beneath himself to wear a red and green pointy hat covered with twinkling snowflakes and put on a record of kitschy carols. He looked just a little less stern today sitting in an armchair brought in from the library.

Gracia had gotten Tina a gift as well, even though she had been a more or less completely unannounced guest and did not share their faith.

At some point in the morning a twig of mistletoe appeared over the couch on which she and Newt were sitting, apparently enchanted to spontaneously appear anywhere inside the house during Christmas Day. Tina thought it too much of a coincidence though to believe that story, Gracia's smirking grin gave it away.

The traditionally expected kiss of the couple underneath it was rather chaste, though. At first Newt only tried to kiss her cheek in the company of his family, but a chuckled "Come on, Newt, I _know_ you can do better than that!" from his father made him reconsider at least that, although reluctantly.

Newt smiled shyly at her after they had kissed, still cupping her cheek in one hand and their eyes locked on only each other. Tina felt very lucky to be loved by this man.

 

* * *

 

Last night, after she realised that Newt had shut her out of the case, Tina had made her way down into the living room again where she had come face to face with the last person she wanted to see that night. Theseus Scamander, looking out the French windows across the dark gardens.

"He nodded at her in greeting upon seeing her enter, civil and politely as if the accusations less than two hours before had not happened. 

"I don't need to tell you that you got off quite lightly tonight, do I?" Tina inquired harshly as she walked closer to him. Her anger at this man's words and behaviour was bubbling to the surface again and needed to be let out.

"Newt might have beat me to the punch, but that doesn't mean I'm done with you, Theseus Scamander. I still have a few things to add myself." She only barely kept herself from taking her wand and hex him as she stood in front of him now and remembered his not so pleasant words. "You think I'm after money? I couldn't care less about how much of it Newt does or doesn't have, or his family for that matter. I'd rather die an old and working spinster then marry for such reasons. In fact I was very much happy to become just that when I met him." She looked at the man in front of her who hadn't moved a muscle since she had cornered him at the window. He looked attentively at her, listening to what she said.

"Just so we are clear, your brother is neither of those things you said. He's not soft but rather soft-hearted, which really is quite important to 'pretty girls like me'... You would also do well to reconsider your attitude towards us women in general. Newt is also not the gullible person you believe him to be, but he still looks for the good in people and creatures rather than the bad. Despite having witnessed the horrors of war. Yes, I know what happened at the Eastern front, _war hero_. He got nearly killed while making sure you would win next day's battle, isn't that right? Oh, and Newt certainly knows how to stand up to someone or something when he deems it neccessary. But I don't have to tell you that anymore, do I?"

Tina took a step back again and drew a deep breath after rushing all of this out before he could get a word in edgewise. But Theseus Scamander still didn't speak and Tina wondered for a moment if no one had thought to take the Silencing Charm off him. She took another breath and continued to speak what was on her mind.

"Do you know love, Mr. Scamander? One moment all you care about is your career so you can provide a good life for your sister, the only family you have left. And the next, there is someone else occupying every thought on your mind. You suddenly start spending your days wondering if you'll ever see him again. What he's doing right now, on the other side of the ocean. If he thinks of you just as much as you think of him, and in the same way. After a while you start seeing him in strangers wearing a blue coat. And then suddenly he's really come back, all shy and smiling, and all you can do inside is dread the day he will leave you again because it will be worse the second time around."

She stopped and shook her head. That had not exactly taken the direction she had intended it to go. At all. "But you know what? Newt didn't leave again. And when he did, he asked me to come with him. He asked me another question, too. I had never expected him to feel the same way, but somehow here we are. Go on and judge me on that." 

Tina didn't wait around for a reply, instead left the room again and went down to the kitchen to ask for some cocoa, or possibly some Butterbeer to cheer her up again. Molly and Crad had been all too happy to provide her with both, as well as filling her in one what had happened after they had left the house earlier.

A little later Gracia had come by the kitchen and asked her about Newt. Tina told her about him locking his case.

"Oh dear," she murmured and left again.

Tina had felt the same concern, but there was nothing she would be able to do until he came out of that case.

 

* * *

 

Just before moving from the living room to the dining room, where the Christmas Dinner (which really would really be more of a lengthy lunch) would be had, Tina was taken aside by Gracia for a quiet word.

"How is he?" she asked with a tinge of concern. Tina needed no explanation whom she asked about, their short exchange last night was still clear on her mind.

"Better than he was last night, I think. He expects to get a harsh talking-to from his parents some time today, though." Waking up with Tina next to him this morning had at least put a real smile on Newt's face and he had been less distant this morning, especially after their kiss underneath the mistletoe.  She could only hope that their conversation last night would reassure him and he'd stop with the fretting.

It seemed that his philosophy about worry did not hold where Tina was concerned.

Gracia seemed surprised at her words. "Whatever for? He's not the one that needs to be dressed down. Theseus was so far out of line last night, even his father couldn't find it in him to try and defend his words. We're so sorry about that, Tina. You do know that neither Perseus nor I believe in anything he said, don't you?"

Tina nodded, she had seen it in their disbelieving faces last night. "Thank you, Gracia."

"I've asked Perseus to have a talk with Newt some time later tonight," Gracia continued. "Not in a bad way, just... actually talking _to_ him, not _at_ him as he usually does. I don't think he has any idea who his youngest son really is."

"You really think that's a good idea?" Tina wondered, seeing as Newt expected a severe dressing down from the man himself. 

"No," Gracia said, probably thinking along the same lines. "But it is long overdue. He's thirty now and getting married. Perseus needs to finally see him as the grown man Newt is and not the unassertive schoolboy he once was. He still treats him as if Newt were sixteen years old."

Tina nodded, but kept her thoughts on that idea to herself. _This could go either really well for them or horribly wrong._ But Gracia certainly knew the Scamander men better than she did.

"Well, Newt and I will be out after dinner. He told me that he wanted to show me something before we came down this morning. I'll, eh, try to make sure he's in somewhat of a good mood when we get back, might make things a bit easier then."

Gracia smiled at her and put a hand onto her arm. "Thank you, dear."

Then they both joined the others in the dining room before anyone got suspicious.

 

* * *

 

After a traditional Cristmas Dinner (a roast goose and 'all the trimmings' followed by plum pudding), which had been accompanied by the same tense silence between the brothers but otherwise had been rather pleasant, both of Newt and Tina got their winter coats and walked out the front door and into the cold and clean winter air.

"It's too far to walk so we'll have to apparate," Newt said as they followed the gravel road to a place outside the perimeter where they could finally disapparate. Newt took them near the edge of an ancient looking forest.

"Where are we?" Tina wondered. It still looked similar to the landscape surrounding Scamander Manor, but for all she knew they could be in another part of England entirely.

"Near Fishpond Bottom, still in Dorset," Newt said with a grin.

Tina chuckled. "Fishpond Bottom? Is that even real?"

"Oh yes. It's a tiny village not far from here, just past that hill over there." He pointed towards a rising green hill to their right.

"And what are we here to see near Fishpond Bottom, Newt Scamander?" She could barely hold her laughter in at the ridiculous name of the place. _Whoever came up with that?_

Newt smiled cryptically and gestured for her to follow him towards the trees as Pickett quickly made his way up onto his shoulder. Of course the little Bowtruckle would come with them.

"The summer before my last year at school I went about exploring the West Country," he said. "Grasslands, hillsides, forests and bogs, looking out for creatures and what not. Mother was not quite happy with me being gone on my own, but I was seventeen and there was nothing she could do to keep me home against my will." He grinned at her and immediately Tina could picture it: a younger version of her Newt excitedly entering a forest like this, with gnarly ancient-looking trees and the possibility of finding some interesting creatures in it. She grinned back at him.

They made their way now deeper into the forest, carefuly choosing their steps among the roots, small plants and sharp stones on the wet and leaf-covered earth. Newt walked in front of her and led the way.

"You were already seventeen the summer before your last year?" Tina asked a little with confusion. "But your birthday is in September!"

Newt nodded and explained. "Yes, the school year here starts on September 1st and you have to be eleven by that day to start school. My birthday was two days late, September 3rd , so I had to wait for almost another year before finally going off to Hogwarts." He smirked at her. "Mother remembers that as the worst year of her life, I think."

"You could have started a year earlier at Ilvermorny," Tina said. "The cut-off day for your eleventh birthday is the end of December." She couldn't even imagine what that must have been like, turning eleven and having to wait for another year to finally learn the proper use of magic.

Newt smiled as if he had read her thoughts. "Well, fact is I had an entire summer to myself, traipsing around the countryside with full licence to apparate and use magic... Here we are," he said as they stopped in front of a small clearing. There were some mossy overgrown stumps to be seen in the high grass among lots of brambles and smaller thorny bushes. Not what Tina had expected him to show her.

"And what am I looking at here, besides nature?"

"The site of my first actual rescue," Newt told her and took a few more steps before turning around to face her again. "This clearing used to house some Wiggentrees and a large branch of Bowtruckles to protect them. You can still see the stumps down there, they were chopped down not long before I came here... and whoever cut them down did quite a number on the little creatures protecting them, too. Do you still remember that, Pickett?" The Bowtruckle had gone quiet as they had entered the clearing and quickly climbed down into his usual Bowtruckle pocket, barely looking out over the top. A sad chirp could be heard.

"This is where you picked up your Bowtruckles?"

"Yes," Newt nodded sadly. "It took quite a bit of time to get them to trust me, see that I only wanted to help. Not all of them made it, though. But those who did are still with me today, they refused to go back to where humans might attack them again." He looked at the Bowtruckle still hiding in his pocket and patted his leafy head affectionately.

"Don't worry, Pickett. I'm not here to return you into the wild. I've given up on that quite a while ago, there's absolutely no getting rid of you." He chuckled at the Bowtruckle's short but effective answer, Picket was sticking out his tongue at him.

Tina watched their familiar interaction fondly. It had taken them both a while, but these days Pickett had accepted Tina as someone his home-tree had become fond of, someone who would not go away anytime soon. And Tina had accepted the fact, that any kind of hug, kiss or closeness in general was preceded by making sure no Bowtruckles would be crushed between them.

"And how did Hogwarts do with a branch of Bowtruckles in your dormitory? I can't see that going over well."

He looked at her in surprise. "Oh no, I didn't think it wise giving them a reason to reconsider my expulsion. Absolutely not. I left them with a new Wiggentree sapling I grew in my room at the Manor and asked my mother to take care of them while I was gone." He chuckled softly. "I didn't think it would be for three years, though, what with the war and everything." He sighed as he took another look around the clearing.

"It was also here where I realised what I really wanted to do with my life... Save magical creatures from harm or abuse and give them the chance for a better life, study them to educate wizardkind about these creatures and stop these mindless killings if possible. " He looked bck at her. "When I heard about the use, or rather misuse, of Dragons for the war effort, I just knew I had to enlist, make sure they were at least not treated badly between their missions... You know the rest of that." Tina nodded, they had been over Newt's time at the Eastern Front.

The Bowtruckle chirped something from inside the front pocket of Newt's coat. "No Pickett, I left you behind because I knew you were all well cared for at the Manor." He looked at Tina with eyes slightly crinkled in amusement. "They got attached to me rather quick over that summer and were very cross with me for leaving them for so long. They wouldn't even let me enter my own room when I finally came back."

"What changed their mind?" Tina inquired. She knew for a fact that Bowtruckles could hold quite a grudge, they were stubborn like that.

Newt paused for a moment before answering her. "The fact that I was still quite injured, I guess. I took them in when hurt, so they decided to take me in." _Oh, right. The wound that needed months to start healing._

"So..." Tina walked up to him now and took another look around. "You just stumbled upon this forest and this clearing by chance while wandering about the countryside and decided on your future career after what you found here?"

Newt watched her and chuckled at her choice of words. "Well... yes. Though I wouldn't call it a career exactly. Magizoology is often seen as more of a rather eccentric pastime than a career, you see. I would be nowhere near writing a book on magical creatures if Mr. Worme hadn't commissioned me to do so." He paused for a second before looking at her again with a smile. "A lot of things would have been quite different if that hadn't happened, in fact."

Tina answered his smile knowingly. "Good thing then that it did, fiancé."

Newt kissed her with a smile.

 

* * *

 

They remained there for a little while longer, at the place where according to Newt everything had started. It had stayed at just a few chaste kisses, though, purely for the sake of the Bowtruckle who refused to leave Newt's front pocket. Newt told her a bit more about his adventures in the West Country that summer, valuable lessons he had learned.

They also decided to take a little walk through the countryside before apparating back to the Manor. So Newt and Tina made their way back out of the forest and headed east, following smaller dirt paths over rolling hills and throught fields that were seperated by low stone walls and hedges. The air was cold and clear, just cool enough to feel like winter but not enough for snow to fall yet.

In the distance they could see the little village peculiarly named 'Fishpond Bottom', just a few stone houses and a small road. No visible fishponds, though.

At some point they came upon an old and abandoned stone cottage in the middle of a small field. Tina stopped them to look at it, the brittle walls and sloped roof, a little patch of what must have been a vegetable garden partly hidden by a low stone wall and an outgrown hedge. It seemed very peaceful here, peaceful and scenic. In fact, it was quite what she had life in the English countryside thought to look like... if one overlooked the bad state of the house. A charming little cottage in the middle of nowhere with lots of green fields around. There was a rose bush growing up at one corner of the house and an apple tree grew in the garden, both looking dead now in winter. But come spring they would return to life, she was sure.

"Everything alright?" Newt asked beside her. Tina had been staring at the place for a while, it seemed.

"Yes, I'm just enjoying the sights," she chuckled. "This would be a rather nice place if it weren't for the bad condition. So peaceful and quiet."

"You think so?" Newt wondered and looked over the place again with a frown.

"Yeah. Quite what all of us Americans think life in Britain to look like, you know... general belief has it you Brits live either in charming little cottages like that or in a grand manor house. I never would have picked you for the latter type, though."

Newt chuckled at that. "I don't live there anymore and have no plans or reasons to permanently return there. Theseus will have that honour one day, though, being the oldest son... I can't say I envy him that."

"Do you envy him in other things?" Tina just couldn't help ask and wanted to slap herself immediately after. Why did she have to bring that no good excuse of a man up again?

Newt thought for a moment. "There was a time when I would have liked to have his ability to make friends... and also keep them. I think school would have been a lot easier then. But other than that... no." He seemed very confident in that and Tina was happy to hear it.

There was a short but comfortable silence between them, as both surveyed their surroundings while sitting on a more stable part of the stone wall surrounding the plot. Pickett too had come out of his hiding place and had found the perfect overlook on top of Newt's head. He didn't seem to mind the Bowtruckle pulling on his hair to get there, though.

Newt cleared his throat before speaking again. "Uhm, now that you've seen a version of both, the cottage and the, eh, manor, w-which would you prefer?"

Tina mustered him critically for a moment, trying to find his angle for asking that question but failing. "Are you asking me choose a place to settle down in, Newt?"

He seemed taken aback by that. "No. I'm not, love. I meant it, what I said at dinner last night. We'll stay in New York for as long as you like. I uhm, I really don't care where we make a home... as long as I get to do that with you."

Tina looked at him questioningly. "You don't like the city, though."

Newt nodded and smiled. "No, I don't. But there must be less... crowded parts to live, I assume." Tina nodded. "Unless you don't want to leave Manhattan. I'm sure there'll be something we could agree on, or somewhere-"

Tina put her hand on his arm to stop his rambling. "Something on the outskirts or even outside of New York City will be just fine, darling. Compromise goes two ways, you know? We'll figure it out."

Newt nodded again and Tina was glad that at least that part of the important talk was done, then. She decided to humour him and still answer his initial question.

"If I had to chose between a life at Scamander Manor and this cottage, I think I'd rather live in the cottage. I'm a simple gal. Not made for that kind of grand things, servants and different rooms for every meal of the day." She chuckled at his relieved face. "I may have had a little fit of panic when we arrived there, didn't think I'd fit into that kind of life. It's why I was late getting ready for tea."

Newt put his arm round her and chuckled. "I really should have warned you, shouldn't I? It was already too late when I thought of it."

"It's okay. As your mother so helpfully said, you don't bring guests to the Manor very often."

"Or at all," he replied. Tina chuckled.

She thought for a second before deciding on putting the next important question out there. "So, when do you think should we get married, Mr. Scamander?"

He turned to look at her with eyes wide in surprise. "Uhm. I... I really hadn't thought that far yet," he answered and blushed, but didn't avert his eyes as he continued. "I uhm, I proposed because... I wanted you to know what my intentions towards you were. Honestly, I thought you would probably take a bit of time to consider your answer... or even outrightly refuse. It hasn't been that long after all, even though it might feel differently." He stopped and looked away over her shoulder.

"Why would I do that, Newt?" Tina was astonished by his words. "You've courted me for twelve months, for three of which I was kinda aware of it, before you proposed. Also we'd done quite a bit of kising by then. And we've talked about it, this being a serious thing I mean. Why should I have said no?"

It was moments like these when she really couldn't understand the ways his thoughts were taking at times. She still had a lot to learn about him. But she also realised how much courage it must have taken him to ask even though he expected to be refused for whatever reason.

Newt had found her eyes again. "It's just... well, you like your independence, love. Not that I intend to take that from you, definitely not. But marriage might... take a little piece from it anyway, I guess. A 'Mrs. Scamander' will be... treated differently than a 'Miss Goldstein'. And, uhm, people usually expect married women to quit working or step down a bit... especially in a dangerous profession such as yours. Becoming my wife might hinder your career, Tina." His serious face turned into an honest smile as he continued. "So, I don't mind if you'd rather prefer to have a long engagement, wait a few years to get married and see where your career will take you."

Tina watched him carefully as she mulled over his words. What was it he had said last night? There was nothing he wouldn't do for her happiness. This was another situation in which Newt was more than ready to compromise for her sake. Not just compromise, but entirely conform to her will and give her years of his life to further her own career before being allowed he call her his wife. Which was really all he wanted, to call her his wife, _his_ Tina, the woman who agreed to spend a life with him. _  
_

He was right in what he had said though, married women never stayed Aurors for long... most would hand in their notice after a few months of marriage or ask to step down from active duty to work at the desk. But anyone who knew Tina Goldstein also knew she would not want to give up her hard-earned position without a good reason, and simply 'becoming Mrs. Scamander' was not it. There was only one reason she could think of right now to make her step down. And that was another matter entirely to be discussed between them.

"Newt," she softly spoke to get his attention back. She had been in thought for a long while before coming to a decision. "What do you think of May?"

"Uh, lovely month in late spring. Why?"

Tina chuckled. "Because I think it'd be nice to get married in May. Would 1928 be okay for you?"

Newt stared at her in astonishment. "But that's... five months from now?"

Tina nodded. "I don't want to wait too long, Newt. People will just have to deal with the fact that Auror Goldstein is becoming Auror Scamander and certainly has no intention to step down from duty, yet."

Newt smiled, then grinned. "Auror Porpentina Scamander, I quite like the sound of that."

And so did Tina.

 

It was getting dark now as late afternoon turned into early evening. The sun was setting somewhere behind the wall of grey clouds above. A grinning couple sat on an old stone wall next to an equally old house, arm in arm, talking and and kissing.

The night had almost closed in on them completely when they finally seperated and, still holding on to each other tightly, disapparated.

 

* * *

 

That night they sat down in the living room after another (slightly less festive) dinner, Tina and Newt on one couch, Perseus and Gracia on the other.

Theseus and Arabella had already left the Manor some time in the afternoon to spend the evening with Arabella's family as they usually did. Of course there had been no word of apology, not from his brother. Theseus Scamander, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, the man who was never in the wrong.

Newt was still awaiting his judgement.

"Tina dear, would you come and help me out with something, please?" his mother asked in the light tone, that always meant she was up to something.

"Uhm, sure Gracia." Tina squeezed his hand and got up to leave the room with his mother, leaving him alone with his father. Newt felt uncomfortable. _This is it, then._

Perseus Scamander got up from the couch and went over to a little table in the corner to pour himself a drink.

"Would you stay please, Newton," he said with a look over his shoulder. Newt had had no intentions to leave anyway. He knew what was coming and it was inevitable... better to get it over with quickly.

His father returned to the couch and held a glass of Firewhisky out for him as well. That was... unusual.

"Your mother insisted that we two have a talk," he started after sitting down again. Newt took a large swig of the drink now in his hand. It was burning all the way down his throat but neccessary for continuing with this kind of 'talk' that awaited him.

"This is not what you think it is, Newt," his father continued after watching him down the drink. "This is not about last night. How are you?"

"W-what?" Newt was confused. His father was not actually trying to have a conversation with him, was he? This had to be some kind of ruse to let him down gently.

"How are you, Newt?" the man asked again. Newt stared at him. Perseus stared back, waiting for some kind of answer from his son.

"I-I'm fine," Newt managed to get out. What else was he supposed to say? 'Uncomfortable and anxious' probably wouldn't go over very well knowing his father.

Perseus nodded and took another sip from his glass. "I don't think I've asked you that question since... that day."

Newt felt something unpleasant stirr inside him at those words. "'That day'... is that what you're calling it, then? That day your son got expelled from Hogwarts."

"'That day my son did something very stupid' would be more like it," Perseus said with a small smile.

But Newt gritted his teeth, he didn't feel like smiling back at him at all. "'Something stupid'? I was sixteen and trying to help my friend. My only friend, I should add."

"Yes, I know," his father nodded. "But she was not very grateful for it, was she?"

Newt took a steadying breath and looked his father in the eyes. "I won't apologise. Not for that, and certainly not for what happened last night."

His father nodded again. "And I'm not asking you for that, Newt. No one was hurt and it was a more than justified reaction. Quite an impressive display of magic, too."

"Then what are you asking me?" Newt couldn't help but wonder. And the question came out sharper than he had intended, uncertain as he was about the reason for this... talk. His father never simply talked to him just for the sake of it. "What do you want from me?"

Perseus sighed and took another sip of whisky before answering. "I want to get to know the man my son has grown to be. I don't know anything about you, Newt. Only the things other people tell me, added to who I knew you were many years ago. But you've changed. And they don't match up at all with what I've seen of you since you arrived here. So please, humour me and tell me about what you've been up to these past years."

Newt considered his words as he looked at the aged man in front of him. His father wanted to get to know him again, the son he had spend the last fourteen years mostly ignoring, or patronising whenever not. Ever since that incident with Leta and her Jarvey, when he'd been sent home by Floo in the middle of November with a note for his parents in hand.

But what was it that he had thought about just last night? Time for a last effort to finally be taken seriously? Well, Newt would not be the one to reject the proverbial olive branch his father had just extended.

He nodded and downed the last of his Firewhisky.

They talked for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, that was a slightly longer chapter... *cough*  
> Tense silence on Christmas Day, Newt taking Tina on a walk again and finally some first tentative talk about the future. And then we have Perseus spending time with 'the lost son'... Thoughts?  
> Next chapter will be a bit more on the fun side, I think. 
> 
> For the picture lovers, some inspirations for that lovely little cottage as it would have been before being abandoned:  
> (and yes, I'd like something like that for myself, thank you very much)  
> 
> 
> FIY: Fishpond Bottom, Dorset actually exists. And it really does look quite lovely there from what G**gle shows me. 
> 
> I wasn't sure where to put that bit about Tina confronting Theseus. I stuck with keeping it in this chapter as a sort of flashback, but from your reactions to the last chapter, maybe I should move it to it's actual place in the timeline (second half of chapter 18) later? I just felt it somehow fit in here a little better as it would otherwise take a few things from that Newt POV scene at the end of 18.
> 
> _On another note: With this chapter my story has officially reached J.K. Rowling's 'The Philosopher's Stone' in length, at least according word count. (It's supposed to have around 77k words, I didn't count myself though...)_  
>  _How crazy is that please? ~~How crazy am I?~~_  
>  _ ~~And how crazy are those of you who read all of this in one go? :D~~_


	20. Appointments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina discovers Diagon Alley, Newt discovers the downsides of being a famous author and Perseus has another conversation.

On the fifth day of their stay in England, Newt and Tina went to London. They had revised their previous plans though and decided to stay at the Manor a little longer instead of rooming at the Leaky Cauldron. Gracia still wanted to spend a little more time with Ray in the environment he knew best before trying to get him settled in one of her stables.

Newt had a few appointments to keep in London, though, so they used the Floo Network to leave Scamander Manor after breakfast.

"Have you ever used Floo powder before?" Newt asked Tina as they stood in front of the huge fireplace in the entrance hall. It was the one fireplace in the Manor connected to the Network.

"Uhm, no?" Tina looked quite suspicious of this means of transportation after he had explained it to her, so Newt decided to go first.

He took a handful of the glittery green powder and threw it into the low flames, turning them green. Then he spoke rather loud and clearly "Diagon Alley!" and stepped into the flames... to walk out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron a few moments later.

By the time Tina came out of the fireplace behind him, he had already stopped the coughing managed to clean himself of the soot that always ended up clinging to his clothes after flooing. Her arrival was a little less dignified and involved a lot more stumbling, coughing and neccessary cleaning. She looked rather endearing though with a smudge of soot on her cheek.

Newt couldn't help but kiss her before they left the room and through the nearly empty common room of the Cauldron walked out the back where Newt tapped a certain brick on the wall three times. He watched Tina's face as the wall opened to reveal the entrance to Diagon Alley, her expression turning quickly from confusion to understanding to marvel at the sight in front of her.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, Tina!" Newt said with a soft smile as the bricks had stopped moving around and now gave a clear view of the busy street in front of them. She was still staring at the sight speachless and with mouth slightly opened in astonishment.

"This is London?" she managed to ask.

Newt grinned. "The wizarding only part of London, yes. Come on!" He took her hand and gently pulled her with him to step through the gate.

Tina turned around and watched the wall reassemble itself after they had stepped through, then took in everything around her with wide eyes. The unashamed display of magic was probably a lot to absorb for the American witch.

They headed to Gringott's first so Tina could exchange her American Dragots into British currency, then he left her to explore the wonders of Diagon Alley by herself. Newt had some business to attend to, and he was running a little late for his first appointment already.

 

* * *

 

Tina walked down Diagon Alley staring at the rickety buildings, stuffed shop windows and numerous outside displays in wonder. So much magic on open display. The Auror in her wondered about the safety of this place, No-Majs accidentally wandering through here and breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy... but then again this place looked old. Very old, which meant it had been here for centuries already. Of course an appropriate security would be in place to keep this place from exposure so long.

And so many people, dressed in all kinds of fashion from unobtrusive No-Maj attire to obvious wizard robes in bright colours and magically sparkling with stars. There was a group of witches wearing dark pointy hats and carrying broomsticks, the very picture No-Majs had of women with magical abilities. Tina chuckled at the sight.

There was the 'Magical Menagerie' where Gracia had once worked and a number cats, kneazles and toads were on display, outside as well as inside. Next to it was a very ancient looking apothecary named 'Slug & Jiggers' that claimed to have been at this very place since 1207. It reminded her of how much older the British wizarding community was compared to her own.

At a shop called Flourish & Blotts Tina stopped and examined the the window display before her with a smile. There it was, red leather embossed with golden letters and advertised as the number one bestselling book in the non-fiction category... 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. Newt's book.

She went inside and for a long time browsed through the store and its huge amount of magical texts, but inevitably ended up next to a small stack of books that had her fiancé's name printed on them. She leafed through the topmost copy, the pages were still smelling the way only a new book could smell. Printing ink and fresh parchment. Her own copy did not look as pristine anymore from all the reading she had done.

"That is a most extraordinary book you're holding there," a middle-aged wizard with green robes and greying hair spoke across from her. "Have you read it yet?" Tina nodded, surprised at being talked to by a complete stranger. "Who ever knew about all these different kinds of creatures out there, eh?" The wizard walked on with a smile and a number of books tucked underneath his arm.

"Ignorant fool," an elderly witch in a simple brown hat spoke from her left, shaking her head in disapproval of the wizard. "They've always been out there, but no one took any notice unless they were in the way and needed to be goten rid of. Apart from that Scamander boy of course."

"You know him?" Tina asked curiously and surprised. She had never heard anyone speak about Newt who wasn't family or a new-found friend... or part of an investigative team.

"I know _of_ him, yes. Odd fellow, always out exploring and travelling rather than working on a proper career. But it looks like he may have made his father proud after all. His book has been selling like bread fresh from the oven for months now."

"That good, huh?" Tina asked. She opened the book in her hands again and saw that it was a copy of the book's third reprint. Theseus had not exaggerated, then.

The witch mustered her. "You're American," she stated. Tina nodded again. "Here for the holidays?"

"So to speak." The witch nodded.

"You should buy it, luv. From what I heard you Americans know even less about creatures then we do." And with that she left Tina to herself... and this time thankfully no one else tried to involve her in conversation.

Tina left the book store a while later with a book on the history of British law enforcement in her hands (half off, since it was considered a terribly boring read for most), but no copy of Newt's book. She would go and buy one back in New York though, once a version for American wizardkind was published.

She bought some wonderful confectionary from a sweetshop called Sugarplum's where she could probably have spend hours staring at the sweets on display if her stomach hadn't started to rumble quite loudly at the sight. So Tina also got herself a quick lunch from one of the street vendours and walked on. Past a shop with all kinds and manners of cauldrons precariously stacked outside and inside (and ironically right across from where the exit to the Leaky Cauldron was), more wizarding equipment shops (quills and books and brooms chiefly among them) and clothing shops advertising the newest elegant fashions for wizards and witches.

The window display of the less elegant Second-Hand Robes store caught her eye, where a small but beautifully bedazzled purse in soft pink and cream was sitting. It instantly reminded her of Queenie, so Tina went inside and after a bit of browsing decided to buy her dear sister a belated Chanukah gift.

A little later she also managed to find a gift for Jacob, though it was hard to purchase something fitting for a No-Maj in such an inherently magical place as this. She got him a pocket watch from a little corner shop on Horizont Alley and Carkitt Market. And she got something for Newt as well.

Tina also took a quick look down the street named Knockturn Alley but didn't enter, her inner Auror was on high alert around the area. That place just did not look inviting but rather unsavory and with some unpleasant figures loitering about.

Some time in the afternoon, as Tina turned into a side street to the south, there was a bit of a crowd gathering. She could see the entrance to Ollivander's Wand Shop off to the right, the very one where Newt had gotten his wand many years ago. It was a very unusual concept for Tina, since the wands of American witches and wizards were only acquired on their first day at Ilvermorny (and kept there during holidays until graduation, for safety reasons). She thought to go in and have a curious look around, but something caught her ear and made her stop.

"It's Mr. Scamander!" she heard someone tall speak in front of her. "Newt Scamander is here!"

And then she noticed that the people around her were fidling with their bags and purses, some getting out bits of paper, others entire books covered in red leather.

And then she saw him, standing right in the thick of it with a copy of his own book in one and a self-inking quill in his other hand. Signing books for those who asked him to with a constrained but still polite smile on his face.

 _Mercy Lewis, poor Newt_. He hated being the center of attention, and this certainly was the very definition of it! Tina quickly made her way into the crowd and kept watching him closely, ready to go in and extract him should things become too uncomfortable for him. It was not neccessary, though. The crowd had already dispersed after less than ten minutes and Newt was left with a only witch and her two children who asked him excited questions about the creatures he met on his travels. It was a sight that filled her with warmth.

"There you are," Tina said as she could finally step up to him without interrupting. The mother had just asked her kids to leave the poor Mr. Scamander to go about his business instead of riddling him with questions about his adventures. The eldest was not yet ten years old and quite disappointed to be dragged off after only just meeting her favourite author.

Newt waved after the kids, then turned around and smiled at her in a less constrained manner. "Hello."

"That was quite a crowd you drew... are you alright?" Tina asked with concern. He looked just a bit tired, though it was still early in the afternoon.

"Yes, I'm quite alright." He looked around, relieved to see no one else waiting for him, and continued. "How about we go back to the Leaky Cauldron and get something to eat?"

Tina nodded and took the arm he offered her.

 

* * *

 

Newt had spend most of the day inside.

After leaving Tina to explore he had run to his meeting at Obscurus Books on Diagon Alley's south side, where Mr. Worme had informed him of the current situation regarding his book. A French version was already underway to being published it seemed, and he had agreed to consider working on a second edition in due time. Just a few revisions and new findings to be added.

After that his publisher had insisted he should go and meet with some officials at Gringott's who had a few qualms concerning the security of his... assets. One of the newly build high security vaults had been offered to him there, though they would not outright tell him why his current vault was deemed insecure and what exactly would make the new vaults more secure than the others. At least not without signing the contract.

He had his ideas though after he found out that a certain Mrs. Nott, née Lestrange was nowadays responsible for matters of high security at Gringott's. Her name had been in the paperwork as he flipped through it.

Newt had never thought that Leta would make those cruel plans from early in their fifth year a reality, though. He was sure there was a dragon down there, trained from infancy to expect pain at a certain action so only those in the know would have access to the vaults. She had called it her highest security detail back then, a dragon raised to guard her imaginary fortress from those who would want to do her harm.

Newt thanked the Goblins for the considerate offer, but refused to sign or move his possessions. Just the thought of having to hurt a creature, not even bodily but mentally, every time he needed to make a withdrawal made him shudder. _No, thank you._

Last on his list for today had been an appointment at the _Daily Prophet_ for a much dreaded interview. Only so they would stop harassing his family, leave his publisher alone and not even think about simply inventing a story to fill the void of news concerning his person. It had been awkward to say the least, but the witch talking to him seemed to be one of the nicer people around and didn't prod into things that he didn't want prodding into. That being most of his private life. He insisted on some things being stated clearly though.

When leaving the _Prophet_ 's office again a witch had recognised him and asked for a signature to the book she had carried with her. He was startled at first, but readily agreed as she started to talk about how much better she understood a few of her kneazle's traits now after reading it. It became quite a crowd soon and he had to sign so many books and pieces of paper that his wrist started to hurt. People were generally nice and polite though and didn't ask him any strange questions they had no business asking... but he was glad to be done with it as Tina had found him.

And now here they were at a small corner table in the Leaky Cauldron's commen room, enjoying a flavoury stew and some Pumpkin juice.

"How was your day, then?" Newt asked tiredly. Being around too many people always drained him completely of his energy and that crowd had definitely done the job.

"Great," Tina smiled, but her expression softened as she looked at him. "And yours?"

"Exhausting," he answered honestly and paused. "I just hope that doesn't happen every time I decide to go out, the crowd I mean. I rather liked doing things unnoticed by the general public."

"I'm sure it's gonna pass with time," she replied. "Someone or something new and exciting's gonna come by and then you'll be yesterday's news."

Newt chuckled as he thought about being tomorrow's news first. The _Prophet_ would print the article for the morning edition and interest would probably spike for a bit after that. Though it was possible that the crowds would then contain less younger witches with too big smiles and a feigned interest in his actual work. He'd explicitly asked to state the fact that Mr. Newton Scamander was engaged to be married.

He hummed contently as he felt a little of his life return to him. Quietly sitting and talking with Tina (and Tina alone) would do that, replenish his energy rather than drain it. It worked even better than chocolate.

"Tomorrow I'm expected at the Ministry," Newt said with a sigh. "That will be fun."

"What are you doing at the Ministry?" Tina inquired curiously after a sip from her Gillywater.

Newt laughed softly. "I still officially work there, you know? So I do have to turn up from time to time." Newt knew her next question before she could even begin to voice it. "Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Beast Divison."

Tina grinned. "Where else... So you just spend four months abroad to court a witch while the Ministry thought you were busy with some research or other?"

"Shhhh," Newt shushed her loudly with widened eyes and looked around them conspicuously, then he mock-whispered to her "No one can ever know that!" and smirked.

Tina couldn't keep her laughter in anymore and Newt too chuckled at his own ridiculousness. _Better than chocolate, indeed._

"No one will hear it from me, I swear," she finally said, still chuckling quietly.

"Well, I did get _some_ work done while you very busy being Auror Goldstein," he added with a smile, but Tina just kept on laughing softly. And Newt really liked to see her laugh.

 

* * *

 

The next day saw Tina almost alone in a very big house. Newt had left some time after breakfast, flooing to the Ministry of Magic to assure his Head of Department that he was still very much alive and working on something. At least that was what he had told her with a grin before stepping into the flames and vanishing. It had not been as upsetting as the first time, to see him swallowed up by flames.

Gracia was busy outside, tending to her Hippogriffs with the same love and affection Newt had for his own creatures. Tina had asked to help of course, but a few of her beasts who had recently (or not so recently) had a young or started nesting were very sensitive to strangers and Gracia would rather not risk getting her soon to be daughter-in-law injured. She would never forgive herself if that happened, and apparently neither would Newt she believed. Tina did not, but kept that to herself and left the older witch in the company of her herd of Hippogriffs.

The House-Elves were more than content to be left alone while going about their business and felt quite affronted when Tina asked if she could join in on anything. They had sent her out of the kitchen with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

So Tina returned from the kitchen a little miffed about not being needed. It had been quite some time since she last had this much spare time to herself... usually there was always work to keep her busy, an appartment to take care of or a sister (and lately rather a number of creatures) to look after. Newt had taken his case with him to the Ministry, though.

After pacing in her guest room restlessly for a few minutes, Tina decided to do the one thing she usually yearned for when being busiest: sit down in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee and read. She picked up the book she had bought at Diagon Alley just yesterday and made her way back down the stairs and towards the library, knowing there were peace, quiet and comfortable looking stuffed seats waiting for her. The coffee had already been drunk.

She opened the door and was instantly hit by the typical smell of books, then she located an armchair in front of one of the windows and dropped into it with a smile, opening her book on the History of British Law Enforcement to start reading.

She didn't quite make it past the second page though, when a deep voice startled her from across the room.

"That's supposed to be a terribly boring read, you know?" Perseus Scamander spoke and almost stopped her heart by doing so. She hadn't even considered him to be still in the house, much less sitting in the library with her. He was perched at a desk hidden in the corner and behind a small winding staircase that went up to the second floor.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there, Mr. Scamander. I can leave if you'd rather like your privacy in here."

"It's quite alright, Miss Goldstein," he said with a smile. "Or would you prefer if I started to call you Tina?"

"Yes actually, I would," Tina answered without delay.

"Good, then you should call me Perseus. We are to be family, after all." He got up from behind his desk and walked over towards her with a paper in hand. "Have you read _The Daily Prophet_ yet? It's got the most interesting article today." He held it out to her, folded neatly in half.

"Not yet, but I think I will." She took the paper from him and looked up again. "Which article are you talking about exactly?"

"Oh, you'll know it when you see it, Tina," he said cryptically and disappeared back to his desk with a grin.

Tina unfolded the paper to the front page and saw it immediately. A small notice for an exclusive article about Newt Scamander, author of sensational bestseller 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'.

Tina hastily scrambled to find the right page. There is was, three quarters of a page in a segment called 'Arts & Warts' on page 11 as well as a picture that had to be taken just yesterday by the looks of it. She started to read immediately, book completely forgotten in her lap.

The article contained mostly things she already knew about him, his early life and a few of the less illegal adventures he'd had on his travels.

She spluttered as the writer revealed how many books Newt had actually sold so far and where it would be published next. His 'It's not doing too bad' had been quite the understatement apparently and Theseus' accusations suddenly just made a little more sense to her.

A huge smile broke out on her face though, as she saw the last sentence. It read for everyone to see that " _Mr. Scamander is engaged to be married to Porpentina Goldstein, American witch and Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America._ " Their engagement was properly and officially announced now.

"You were right. Quite the article," Tina spoke in the general direction of Newt's father as she had refolded the paper to a more comfortable size.

"I guess you didn't know about this either, huh?" Perseus asked as he came back over to her and sat in the armchair across from her.

"Can't say that I did, no. Must have been one of his appointments yesterday."

Perseus nodded. "He's quite extraordinary, isn't he?"

Tina smiled. "Yes, he is."

"Not quite the career I had in mind for him, but then Newton always was more of a wild child, extraordinarily different."

Just then Molly in her brightly coloured tea-towel entered the room through a hidden backdoor and walked over to them with a tea tray levitating in front of her.

"Master Perseus," she squeaked, "the tea you asked for. Should I put it here or on your desk?"

"Here is just fine. Would you mind bringing in a cup of coffee, too? I think Tina here is rather more fond of it." The house-elf nodded and disappeared again.

She watched as the older wizard went about preparing his tea on the small table between them and a short time later Molly reappeared with a cup of coffee for herself.

"Thank you," Tina said and smiled at the elf, who bashfully smiled back and then quickly vanished back to whatever other duty she had on next. Tina looked at Perseus. "Did Gracia ask you to have a talk with me as well?"

Perseus chuckled. "Direct and to the point, are we? No, she did not. Newt did."

Tina almost choked on her sip of hot coffee. "What-?"

"He told me in no uncertain terms that I should spend some time with you if I wanted to get to know you properly. I saw the chance just now and took it. I hope you don't mind."

Tina stared at him, unsure of where this would go. She knew that Perseus and Newt had had quite a long conversation together after supper on Christmas Day... very long. She'd heard his light footsteps move quietly past her door and to his own room in the early hours of morning. She had already been awake again by then.

"You've had quite the impact on him, Tina. I don't think you've even realised that yet."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"That in you he's finally found that kindred spirit he's been looking for." Perseus took another sip of his tea before he continued. "He has been... alone, Tina, and even though he won't say it, lonely too. His creatures may be wonderful company, but they are still just that: creatures, they can not completely fill in for interacting with other people... I want to get to know the woman who caused Newt to come back into the world of human company willingly and with a smile."

Tina didn't know what to say to this. Instead of answering, she took a large gulp of coffee and looked out the window in thought.

She had known that Newt rather prefered his creatures to most humans. She hadn't know that he had apparently stopped to seek out the company of his own species, though. But it explained a lot... the way his family reacted to hearing about Newt being engaged, as if that was the last thing to possibly happen to him. The way Newt only very reluctantly accepted her hospitality last year and tried to leave at the first possible chance, then later climbed out a fourth story window to get all of his creatures back. The way he couldn't look at the people he was talking to, always averting his eyes and hiding behind his fringe to create some sort of distance. And his reaction when Jacob decided to step out into the obliviating rain, losing the first friend he'd made in years...

Tina nodded and looked back to Perseus. "What would you like to know?"

He thought for a moment and smiled at her. "Tell me how you met my son, again. And this time don't leave out the important bits, please."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Tina on a shopping spree in Diagon Alley and Newt being a little silly with her... And then we have Perseus and Tina in the library bonding over Newt.  
> Penny for your thoughts? Comments are always welcome and will be answered!
> 
> _  
>  A brief warning:   
>  _   
>  _Chapter 21 will be 'the chapter that was promised'. Therefore, the rating will change to Explicit on the next chapter!_   
>  _Those of you who are not interested in any smut will still be able to read this story by leaving Chapter 21 out completely. You're not missing any vital plot points there..._


	21. The Pleasure of a Woman (Explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their last night at Scamander Manor, and Newt feels brave enough to ask for permission to try something. 
> 
> This is a piece of smutty smut contributing nothing much to the general plot. Don't like, don't read.   
> The next chapter will be a 'normal' one again, so you may skip this and continue with chapter 22. Thanks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** This chapter is the reason rating changed to Explicit. If you don't like anything smutty, this one is not for you. Sorry.

Their last night at Scamander Manor found Newt and Tina alone in his room. Tina had joined him to spend the night in his bed again, this time at Newt's own hesitant request. And the mood was a decidedly better one this time around...

It had been like a first breath of much needed air when their lips finally touched in the privacy of his room. It had started out tentatively, just a warm and slow kiss behind closed doors after a busy day with the constant company of his mother unknowingly chaperoning them. And soon they had fallen back into their rhythm of teasing and tasting and carefully touching.

At some point Tina walked both of them backwards, arms and lips still locked, and sank downwards when her legs hit the mattress. Pulling both of them onto the bed with Newt just hovering on top of her, one knee on either side of her left thigh and arms barely keeping him from crushing into her.

This position wasn't exactly new to them, taking their kissing to a more comfortable (horizontal) position. But Newt had made a decision, two nights ago after another one of their wonderful kissing sessions. After saying goodnight to Tina even though neither of them really wanted to stop just yet. There likely wouldn't be a more private setting than this available any time soon and there was something he had wanted to do for a while now. Something he would ask permission to try tonight, if Tina would let him.

He went in for a deep and unhurried kiss with tongues stroking and twirling in a way that left both of them breathless but excited.

"I want to please you, Tina," Newt spoke in a low voice as he moved his lips from her mouth down the beautiful expanse of her neck, intent on drawing more of those wonderful sounds from her.

"You already do," Tina whispered with a sigh as Newt sucked lightly on a certain point of her neck, "you do so much."

He smiled but stopped his ministrations for a moment to look at her, hoping his next words would get his intentions across without being too crass... without leaving Tina thinking him too forward or perverted for her liking.

"No, Tina. What I mean is..." He averted his eyes to look at her lips in the last minute, not feeling quite bold enough to look into her eyes while stating his desires. "I-I want to _give_ you pleasure. I... I want to t-touch you... intimately and, uhm... try make you feel good. If you'll let me." He could feel that his face had turned an impressive shade of crimson at this confession and looked up again to gauge her reaction.

Though he was inexperienced in these physical  things, Newt had an idea how to go about pleasing a woman... at least in theory. After announcing their engangement back in New York, he had returned to his own room at the boarding-house to find two unassuming little books stuffed into the pocket of his coat. Queenie's doing he was sure, since one title read 'The Pleasures of Married Life' and the other was named 'A Witch's Guide to Self-Discovery'. Definitely not his usual kind of reading material. He had quickly flipped through both of them of course, blushing furiously when he discovered the latter text to be a... quite detailed instruction for women on how to find pleasure by themselves.

The texts had been buried deep under some parchments and discarded books for a while before he considered taking a look at them again, for reasons... It had been an enlightening read, though, and now he very much wanted to use this new gained knowledge on Tina, his fiancée, the woman he loved. Who watched him for a long moment, before biting her lip to keep from smiling and nodding in assent.

"Uhm, could you say it, please? I-I need to hear you say it, love." He really did. He would never touch her in any way without her explicit consent to do so.

She cupped his face with a hand and smiled. "Yes, I'd like that," she confirmed for him. "You can touch me in any way you please, Newt."

He swallowed around a small lump in his throat, nodded and then returned to kissing her with eagerness. Mouth, face, neck, the collarbones left exposed by the top of her pyjamas. But as enticing as they usually were to him, his mind was focussed on the new things that he was to discover tonight.

His right hand slowly moved from it's position on her waist to glide over her dressed body up to the topmost button of her pyjamas. Tina smiled and nodded as he looked up at her for consent before he gently unhooked it, then a second and a third... until he reached the waistband of her bottoms where the top was still tucked in. He brushed the green fabric to the side, kissing and sucking on the newly exposed skin of her shoulders and upper chest along the way, drinking in the new sight.

"Newt, wait a second," she whispered breathlessly and he stopped immediately with concern. Did he do something wrong already?

"You, too," she said before he could ask her. "Take your shirt off, too." _Oh. Okay._

Newt sat back with a small smile and together they worked on taking off his pyjama top as well as hers. They were both naked from the waist up now. Newt being all scratches, scars and freckles over toned muscle whereas Tina was all expanses of beautiful creamy skin before him. She looked marvellous and he wanted to touch, to kiss, to explore. So with one last inquiring look at Tina, he did.

Newt gently dragged his hand down her exposed chest and cupped her breast in it, stroking his thumb over the rosy little bud of her nipple and feeling it harden just a little under it. A soft sigh escaped her at his touch, a sound he knew well to be one of enjoyment, that should always be encouraged.

Her other breast he covered in openmouthed kisses, since he needed his other hand to still hold his body up over hers (he couldn't crush her, not now!). He traced his tongue around the small hardening bud before taking it in and gently sucking on it. Another, deeper sigh from her.

Tina's arms had found their way around his back by now, holding him close but not keeping him locked in just yet as he lavished her breasts with all of his attention, kissing, sucking, stroking, feeling the warm and soft skin with his hands and lips.

At some point he managed to manouver his body just a bit to the side, kneeling next to her now rather than hovering above her body. It made a few things quite easier... the touching her for example.

"You're beautiful," he whispered into her skin as he kissed his way down her stomach. There was a small beauty mark just underneath her right breast, another one just visible underneath the waistband of her bottoms. She shook her head in response but giggled nonetheless. Newt could feel the muscles of her stomach flex under his lips.

While tracing his hands down her sides he discovered that she was quite sensitive there, if not to say ticklish. His fingers continued to play against the skin on her stomach as he kissed his way back up her body, missing the feeling of her lips against his own. The kiss was surprisingly slow and sweet for the hurried pace in which both their hearts beat.

He watched her for a moment before daring to continue.

"May I?" he asked with breathless voice as he suggestively slid a single finger underneath her waistband. "M-may I touch you, here?"

Tina nodded, equally breathless and Newt didn't ask her to speak up this time. His hand slid carefully under the fabric still covering her lower half and explored the soft skin and trimmed curls he found. His eyes had dropped unintentionally to watch where his hand vanished, but snapped up in surprise as Tina opened her legs just a little wider for him in invitation.

"Go on," she whispered, inviting and encouraging him to continue with a smile on her lips. Gently he let his hand glide just a bit lower, over the hill and into the hidden valley behind.

His eyes closed at the feeling of welcoming warmth that greeted him here as he explored this new and uncharted territory, careful not to treat the sensitive skin here too harshly.

Newt found the little nub he knew to be her most sensitive part rather quickly, though completely on accident. A shuddering sigh wracked through Tina when he dipped a single finger lower down into her warm folds and brushed over it along the way.

She was already wet, he could feel, ready to receive him. All of him. Not yet, though. Tonight he just wanted to touch and explore, hopefully giving Tina the pleasure she deserved.

A more deliberate brush against her sensitive nub produced a soft moan from her and Newt grinned at the sight in front of him. Tina's beautiful form, bare from the waist up for him to kiss and touch. Her eyes were partially closed and head thrown back against the pillows with dark wavy strands of hair splayed out over them. She looked gorgeous like that.

Another brush of his finger over her, she shuddered with a soft sigh but also tensed a little. "Not too much of that," Tina told him with a soft smile. "There's still more for you to find."

And so he dared to explore her a little further. His finger slid lower, gently stroking the skin of her folds, then around her entrance, wet and slick and so warm. He closed his eyes again at the feeling of it, this most private of places, her core. Tina sighed deeply as his finger gently breached her. She was so warm and incredibly tight around that single digit. Newt shuddered at the thought of another part of him surrounded by that heat.

"Is... is this alright?" he asked, as he started out a rhythm of gently pumping his finger in and out of her heat. His voice wouldn't speak any louder than a whisper, though, it simply couldn't right now.

Her approving answer was drowened out by a low moan as Newt brushed his thumb around her sensitive nub again, instead she nodded vigorously and started moving just a little in time with his hand.

Assured like this Newt moved to kiss her again, a kiss that quickly became searing and uncoordinated on her part as she seemed to focus more on the movement of his hand then his lips. He didn't mind though, and moved on to pay attention to her neck and shoulder. A nibble on her ear lobe, a kiss to the crook of her neck, tongue swirling into the small dip between her collarbones. Then he brought his lips to her nipple and began to suck while his other hand was softly fondling and caressing. Tina was panting now, but seemed a little frustrated in her movements as well.

"Tell me what you need, love?" he asked uncertainly, hoping for guidance to be able to give her the last push she needed.

"More, just... another finger... inside me."

Newt nodded and complied with her request, earning himself another deep moan of pleasure after a few moments of fumbling.

But just a little later she also started trembling under his ministrations and for a terrible moment Newt was reminded of _that_ night. That night when things had been too much want, too much good for her, but she continued to move against his hand with a pleading whisper.

"Don't stop. Please, keep going!"

And he kept going, pumping his fingers inside and occasionally brushing his thumb over her. His mouth worked on her neck again, then her breasts. Kissing, sucking, nibbling and licking wherever he could reach her skin. And soon he felt her walls tighten even more around his fingers, and he knew she was close. It only took one more brush over her sensitive nub for her to tumble over that edge. Her muscles began to tense all over, a sweet sigh and then her body was wracked with a wave of pleasure. It was a glorious sight, a glorious sound as she wrapped his name into a moan. He continued to stroke her through it, tried to prolong it as much as possible. And then she went limb underneath him, exhausted but with a sated grin on her face.

A grin that Newt could only mirror as he watched her. He gently withdrew his hand from her, knowing she would likely be quite sensitive after this, and wiped it clean on the sheets underneath them as he continued to watch Tina slowly come back to herself.

She pulled him in for a languid kiss as soon as she got her breath back, wrapping her arms around him completely now and locking him in this embrace. He could feel her heart beating against his chest, warm skin on heated skin as they were now, beating quite fast but calming down again after the exertion. He chuckled into the kiss without actually meaning to.

"What's so funny?" Tina whispered against his lips.

Newt smiled at her, then chuckled again. "I'm happy and it's bubbling over."

Tina smiled back at him, a loving smile that slowly transformed into a devious smirk.

Newt didn't know what was happening for a moment as she pushed him over onto his back and moved to straddle his thighs. She was over him now, leaning down over his body to kiss him, mouth, neck, face, chest, but mercifully stayed clear of his overly sensitive ears for now. It had been his undoing the last time they were kissing in a similar way, spread out on a bed without a care for the world around them, and he did not want this night to end the same way (too early, too intense, too sudden).

His hands flew to her hips to stop her from moving too close over him, over where he actually wanted her the most. Tonight really was not supposed to be about him, he'd had his share already and owed her this.

But Tina apparently had other plans. A single hand glided over his chest, slowly moving down towards the band of his pyjama bottoms, which had grown impossibly tighter since they started to kiss this evening.

"Can I touch you, too?" Tina whispered against his mouth. Her hand had stopped its movement over his navel, gently stroking and waiting for permission to continue its way.

This had not been part of his plans... But he had not planned in anticipation that seeing her like that, in the throws of passion and moaning his name, would have quite an effect on him, too. Seeing her like that had done something to him, starting a fire deep inside him that he knew would only be extinguished in one way... and Tina was offering to help with that.

"Newt?" He realised he had taken too long to answer her, eyes closed at the feeling of her hot touch against his bare skin and lost in his mind. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and looked at her again. Her pupils were still blown wide from their earlier activities, his earlier activities, skin turned a lovely shade of pink and a soft smile on her face. Now she wanted to return the favour, knowing full well that he would need some for of release as well.

"Y-you can touch me," he whispered and put a hand to her still slightly pink cheek, "if you like."

"Would _you_ like me to?" she asked in return and covered his hand with her own. Newt nodded again and Tina lowered her hips to rest on top of his, shifting them just the smallest bit. His eyes closed again and a moan escaped his chest. It felt incredible.

"Oh, this will be over very quick, I think," he whispered against her . This felt so unbelievably good already, this small amount of friction on his heated flesh where their lower bodies touched.

"Do you wanna go on like this?" she asked with a grin and teasingly moved again, "Or do you want something else?"

Newt grabbed at her hips again and kept them just where they were. "No! No, th-this is fine. Unless there's something else you'd ra-" But another wriggle of her hips made him unable to continue that sentence.

"Like this, then," Tina whispered against his mouth and placed a quick kiss there before she shifted a little on top of him. Suddenly she was straddling not his thighs but his groin with knees on either side of his hips, and putting pressure and friction to exactly the right places. Another moan escaped him, louder this time, as she moved her hips over him with more intent.

"Merlin's beard, don't stop this," he managed to press out. "P-please don't stop this."

Tina continued her movements with a wicked smile, slowly and steadily rubbing herself over his groin with only few flimsy layers of fabric between them. He could feel the heat emanating from her on his hard flesh, from where he had touched her not too long ago. It was obscene to think about, but it felt oh so very right in this moment. His hands moved to her hips again to guide her movements just a little, set a rhythm, keep her there. Any kind of other thought soon went out the window.

He noticed that Tina's hands had started to explore his chest again, touching and stroking and roaming freely over his exposed skin. She leaned forward again to kiss him, bracing her hands next to his head and intensifying her little thrusts against him in a way that made him think of actually engaging in a different sort of act, actually feeling her around him... No, those thoughts had to stop or else this would be over sooner rather than later.

It took him a while to see it through the fog in his mind. The way her breath changed pace and her sighs became a little deeper with every movement against him. She was starting to enjoy herself too, this position was something they both could enjoy. And Newt knew would, no he had to, try and keep it together until Tina had found her pleasure once again.

A hand went from her hip up to cup one of her breasts, touching and caressing the soft flesh and rosy nipples, helping her find release in any way he was still able to think of.

It didn't take too long to happen. Her kisses had stopped and she sighed into the crook of his neck instead, pressed her hips against him a little more forcefully and insistent, and just a few thrusts later she tensed above him and sighed out loud in pleasure for a second, but less intense time.

And with that sound Newt was gone past any point of self-control, too. He move his hips up to thrust against her once, twice, three times and then stilled as the coil inside him released into whitehot pleasure, moaning out her name in a frenzy. _Tina._

 

* * *

 

Tina was the first to come back to herself, grappling for her wand that had miraculously landed on the nightstand next to them and using a quick _Tergeo_ Spell first on herself, then on Newt to clean them both up.

She really hadn't expected _this_ to happen when Newt had asked her to spend the night in his bed again. But she certainly didn't regret it.

Tina smiled at the man underneath her, still a little out of it from the force of his release, breathing heavily and twitching with aftershocks. She moved to lie next to him, a more comfortable position for both of them, but curling herself around him possessively.

"Hey," Newt whispered with a dopy smile on his face and moved his arm so she could rest her head more comfortably on his shoulder.

"Hey yourself," Tina replied and smiled, too.

_He looks so much better than the last time,_ Tina thought.

It had happend some time before they left for England, the very first time they had decided to take their kissing to a more horizontal position on her bed instead of the settee in the living room. It was supposed to stay at that, just their usual way of kissing, necking, but the enjoyments of that combined with his position of not exactly hovering over her anymore and some slight attentions from her to his ear had... pushed him well beyond self-control. Newt had been very embarrassed, even mortified about it, about 'using her' in that way (when all he had done was rutting against her thigh for a bit).

Tina was glad to see it hadn't turned out like that this time around.

"You know," Tina started with a grin, "for someone who claimed not to know what to do just a short time ago, you're really quite good at this."

Newt didn't even blush at her words, at least his face did not turn any pinker than it already was. He cleared his throat before replying. "There's a difference between theoretical and practical knowledge... one can have the first without the second."

Tina chuckled at this. "Of course, you did some research. Otherwise you wouldn't have even suggested doing this, would you?" It was so typically and endearingly Newt.

He turned his head to look at her with his lovely smile. "You really know me too well, my love. I like it."

There was a confidence in him right now that she hadn't quite seen before. At least not around humans, not even around herself. She liked to see him like this, carefree and without the any of the insecurities he usually carried. _Hopefully that might happen just a bit more often after tonight,_ she thought with a smile.

Tina giggled again when a thought hit her. "I can't really picture you in that section of a book store, though, darling."

Newt cleared his throat again and she saw a bit of the bashfulness return to him. "I may have had unasked-for help there..."

And suddenly Tina knew where her fiancé had gotten his research material. Her sister simply loved to meddle, didn't she?

"Oh, let me guess: 'The Pleasures of Married Life'?" Newt nodded once and Tina giggled. "She's been 'hiding' that under her bed for ages... I wondered where it had so suddenly gone."

Newt blushed a little now. "It's down in the suitcase, along with the 'Witch's Guide to Self-Discovery'. And no, I really don't want to know whom that belonged to."

Tina giggled at the tone of his voice and couldn't help herself but tease him just a little. "Quite a helpful little text that one... I hadn't looked at it in ages, though."

Newt groaned and threw a hand over his face. "I said I didn't want to know."

She still chuckled, watching as his blush extended from his face and down his neck to his chest. When Newt didn't move his hand again, she continued. "Does it make you feel uncomfortable to know? I mean... you don't seem to mind that I'm a modern woman in basically every other respect, but touching myself is where you draw the line?"

Newt groaned again. "That's really not the issue here... but please stop putting images in my head, would you?"

Tina laughed again, but she did stop talking for now. There were quite a number other pictures she could have put in his head, though. _Maybe another time._

With a single finger she traced lines across his chest, connecting a few of the more visible scars as she did so. Her mind had been focussed on them the last time she saw Newt shirtless, but now Tina noted that his freckles truly did extend everywhere. They were not just on his face and arms, places where the sun would often kiss his skin, but all the way down his chest and across shoulders as well. She assumed that his back would be dotted with them, too. It looked quite lovely.

His hand covered hers as she carded it through the sparse coppery hair that grew on his chest, pressing it against his skin and over his heart instead. Newt sighed with contentment.

"I could do this all night, I think," Tina said softly and with a smile.

"Do what?"

"Look at you, touch you, explore you..."

Newt smiled and let go of her hand again. "I didn't mean to stop you, my love."

She continued tracing lines on his body, feel his skin, scars and a few coarse hairs under her hand while Newt simply pulled her closer into his side, content with just holding her for now. He twitched as her fingers skimmed over the scar marring his side, though.

"Sorry," Tina said and withdrew her hand quickly. "Did I hurt you?"

Newt shook his head and moved onto his side to face her now. "No, it just felt... strange. It's sort of numb but quite sensitive around the edges. No pain though." He grinned. "And I might be just be a little ticklish, too."

"Freely giving away you weak spots, Mr. Scamander? Not very strategic of you."

Newt chuckled. "There's spots far more suitable to render me incapacitated than that. Use that knowledge responsibly, please." He yawned into his hand. "Sorry, I think I'm getting rather tired now."

Tina nodded. "Then we should go to sleep. We got a busy day tomorrow." To be honest, she was quite tired, too. She just hadn't wanted this evening to end yet.

Newt nodded and kissed her once more softly on the lips, then moved to pull the discarded blankets over their bodies. He stopped mid-movement, though.

"Uhm... Would you rather like us to get redressed or... sleep like this?"

Tina thought for a moment, then chose to put her pyjama top back on for the night. She may not be as much of a prude as people thought her to be, but she would rather not risk the chance of anyone else seeing her this exposed, half-naked in Newt's bed.

Besides, there was always the possibility of just taking their shirts off again should they be interested in another round of exploring each other.

Once the lights were out she fell asleep rather quickly, though, curled around a sleepy Newt and safely wrapped in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy was I nervous about posting this... >.<  
> Do I hear anyone complaining about the fact that Newtina didn't actually do the deed? I hope not. Because these two are really just not there yet. (And I have a feeling they might actually wait for that until they're married, you know... ;)) 
> 
> Comments are always welcome. I'd like to know how I did with my first ever intentionally smutty writing and if there is a demand for more of this ;)


	22. Unexpected Invitations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina leave the Manor and move on to Hogwarts.

Newt woke up early the next morning, despite the late hour they had finally managed to get some sleep. He was woken by the sound of a door opening and one of the younger house-elfs slipping into the room to tend to the low-burning fire in the chimney, keeping it from dying. He was a light sleeper, so the elf really couldn't be blamed.

Instead of going back to sleep though, Newt settled just a bit more comfortable under the blankets and carefully turned on his side to watch the beautiful woman next to him. He didn't get to see Tina like this very often, so much less serious in her sleep and peaceful even without all the usual worries etched into her features. She looked more like her age this way, he thought and smiled. _My Tina._

Today was the 29th of December. They would leave his family and Scamander Manor behind to travel on to Hogsmeade and visit Hogwarts in the afternoon. Professor Dumbledore had invited him for a visit and he'd take Tina along with him. Newt was looking forward to showing her the castle and the school grounds, all the places he had favoured as an adolescent there, and possibly settle the question of which school really was best once and for all.

They hadn't made any special plans for celebrating the new year yet, but there would certainly be some local festivity or other in Hogsmeade they could partake in during their stay. At least that sounded more inviting than attending the Ministry's New Year's Eve ball... he'd been once and did not want to repeat that particular experience, even with Tina by his side. There were only so many Officials and Very Important People he could take being in the same room with.

In fact, he would rather prefer to be in a room with no one but Tina. But he also knew that they could not hide themselves away forever, no matter how enticing that thought was. She needed to be around other people. And he wanted to show her England, or at least the parts of it that were of importance, before they'd return to New York again.

Newt had spent the last hour or so in thought while watching Tina first sleep, then slowly regain consciousness until she woke up, too.

"Good morning," he smiled at her when her lovely brown eyes had stopped blinking owlishly and put their focus on him.

"Good morning," she replied in a still sleepy voice and moved just a little closer to him.

"Did you sleep well?" Newt inquired softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Very." There was that lovely illuminative smile she only could manage around him.

Newt kissed her then... and they did not stop kissing for quite a while.

_What an enjoyable way to start the day._

 

* * *

 

At some point in the morning they actually managed to get out of bed and Tina returned quickly into her own room to get ready for the day ahead.

They met up again in the breakfast room, a smaller room situated in the easternmost corner of the house, where on a sunny day the early morning sun would shine in and bath the room in light. Today was not such a day though and they could just as well have had their meal in any other room of the house.

An assortment of breakfast food, scrambled eggs and bacon, toast, jams and porridge notably among them, was sitting on a sideboard for them to serve themselves. Tea and coffee were waiting in pots that kept their contents in a freshly brewed and hot state, as well as a pitcher of pumpkin juice and plain water. Tina always enjoyed this first meal of the day here the most, since there were no house-elves around to  wait on her hand and foot. It felt more homely.

Today it was not just her and Newt though. Perseus and Gracia had joined them as well and together they had a pleasant last breakfast that took quite a bit longer than Tina would usually allow for. Afterwards they went to say goodbye to Rae and the other Hippogriffs in the stables.

They had spend the better part of yesterday and the evening of the day before relocating the Hippogriff from Newt's suitcase to one of the more remote stables on the grounds. That first night out had been a hard one for Ray and she knew that Newt had spend more of that night with the beast in the stables than his own bed. Yesterday they had taken the Hippogriff on a walk around the real meadow and adjacent forest, then the other parts of the grounds where the herd was free to roam for the day. Ray seemed to have settled in quickly after that, since last night... well, Newt had definitely spent that night in bed rather than the stables.

It was an emotional moment for the Magizooligist, saying goodbye and therefore releasing another one of his fantastic beasts into a better life, but unlike with most of the other creatures he could be very sure to see him again and get regular updates on his situation.  Tina would miss the Hippogriff, too. But with one rescue case gone, there was sure to be another. And Tina was also excited to find out what kind of creature Newt would pick up next... he had this habit of just stumbling over them accidentally, it seemed. It shouldn't be too long.

Their cases were quickly packed and ready to go, so all that was left to do was bringing them downstairs and walk outside the door. They did not walk alone, though. Newt's parents accompanied them until they were out of the Anti-Apparition-Charm's perimeter and bid them both farewell.

"Do you think it's safe, apparating all the way to Hogsmeade?" the worried witch asked.

"Don't worry, Mother, it will be fine. I've apparated greater distances than that successfully, you know," he answered her with an awkward smile. Newt did not like people making a fuss over him... not even his own mother, it turned out, and Tina had to hide a grin.

"Well yes, but not with a Side-Along, it's diff-"

"Gracia dear, I think he's got it. Newt is a more powerful wizard than we think," Perseus interrupted his wife.

Newt's smile turned even more awkward. "I'm really not, Father, but thank you anyway." They exchanged a look that Tina had no idea how to interpret. It seemed to be somewhere on the good side, though.

"Uhm, thank you for your hospitality these past days," Tina started, filling the silence that had fallen. "I hope we were not too much trouble with... everything that happened." And there she went again. Tina Goldstein, always ending a perfectly normal goodbye scene on an awkward note.

"Oh, nonsense," Gracia replied, "it was no trouble at all. In fact I would have gladly gone through quite a lot more hassle if only I'd known we would have an engagement to celebrate."

"Yes, Mother," Newt chuckled, "and you know that is exactly why we did not give you the time to prepare anything for our arrival."

"Oh, right you are. " She wrapped her son into another hug as she continued a little softer, "It's so wonderful to finally see you happy with someone, Newt."

"I know, mum," he replied equally soft and with an honesty that bordered strangely on relief. "I quite like it, too."

Tina could only hear this exchange because she already stood right next to Newt when Gracia pulled him into her arms. But she felt like intruding on something private anyway. They smiled at each other, mother and son, before Gracia moved on to wrap Tina in an equally long and tight hug.

"You have no idea how glad I am he finally found you," was the message Tina got whispered in her ear.

"I think I'm getting an idea," Tina answered in a soft voice and both chuckled. Gracia finally took a step back again.

"Now you two take good care of each other," she continued to both of them, a little less emotional now. "And please let us know when you have finally settled on anything for your wedding. A place for example or, you know... just a date?"

"What, 'some time in May 1928' is not specific enough already, dear?" Perseus wondered with a chuckle. "Considering no one thought there would ever be something to put a date on, I'd say that is pretty precise."

Gracia glared at her husband for his words but then joined in their laughter with a chuckle as well. Perseus had turned out to be quite a humorous person once you actually got to know him... or rather, once he got to know you. Most of his jibes were not actually meant to taunt, though they could so easily be interpreted that way.

Newt had pulled Tina closer to him again, wrapping his arm around her with a broad hand placed on her waist in a sweet display of possessiveness. Tina happily let him, she was 'his girl' after all.

"We'll keep you posted," Tina promised when their chuckles had faded.

"We are to write to Tina's address now, right?" Gracia asked. "You won't be at that inn anymore?"

"No, I'll stay with my friend Jacob when I'm in New York and not out the field," Newt explained. "He's a Muggle, though, so you can't send any owl post there. American laws are a little... strange like that. Technically he's not supposed to even know me, us. Magic."

That was more or less a ruse, of course. Newt had no intention to actually stay at Jacob's flat between his planned field trips, certainly not with Queenie next to living there already. He'd stay in his case and in Tina's flat, whenever he was not out and about to do some actual observation of magical creatures (the kind that went into his book). But his parents didn't need to be told about that agreement... and they may keep their suspicions to themselves as well.

There was another round of hugging (Gracia) and shaking hands in goodbye (Perseus) and more promises to write and keep them informed before they were finally free to disapparate.

 

* * *

 

A little white village surrounded by high snowcovered mountains. That was the first impression Tina got of their new surroundings. A number of houses lined the long snowy street they were standing on, most of them with shops on the ground floors and two or more stories rising above under high and steep shingled roofs. The architecture reminded Tina of what she had seen in Diagon Alley, only less rickety and with a little more space available for construction.

"Hogsmeade?" Tina asked Newt with a smile.

"Hogsmeade," he answered with a grin. "The only all-wizarding village in the country. We'll be staying at The Three Broomsticks here."

Tina gripped the handle of her suitcase a little tighter and followed after Newt who walked further on into the village. She severely regretted not putting on her gloves back at the Manor. "Where are we exactly? It's so much colder here than in Dorset."

Newt chuckled and turned to look at her. "We are in the Scottish Highlands, love. Of course it is cold." He waited for her to catch up and then offered her his arm to take. "Not much further, though. We're almost there."

Indeed they did reach a litte pub called _The Three Broomsticks_ not two minutes later. The wind was brutal up here, blowing a light snow in their faces and finding a way through the smallest gap of clothing. Tina chattered by the time they stepped over the threshold, where it was warm and cozy and everything it certainly was not outside.

Newt settled Tina down at a table not far from the roaring fireplace and talked to the owner for a bit before he brought their suitcases upstairs and presumably into their rooms. He returned soon after with two foaming tankards of warm Butterbeer in hand.

"Here, love, this will help you warm up again."

"Thank you." She seized the warming beverage from his hands and took a sip. It tasted a bit different to the Butterbeer she'd had at the Manor, Newt's family recipe, but was still quite good, and most importantly: warm.

Tina already didn't feel as cold anymore, the fire and being indoors had a great part in that. She took a curious look around the room. It was a low ceilinged space with a smoky quality to it from the many pipes and fires that must have been lit here over the years. But it still was clean, very cozy and welcoming with the mismatched tables and chairs, low benches and bar stools. There was a bar on the side closest to the door with a barmaid busy cleaning glasses and keeping everything in order, and a mirror behind the bar that reflected the less than crowded room.

The few other wizards and witches present did not pay them much mind, though, sitting in little groups dotted about the room and immersed in conversation over a drink. Keeping out of the cold wind, too.

Newt slid a small key with a 4 on it over the table. "Your room, second floor. I'm in room 6 right next to yours." Tina nodded but felt a little disappointed at them having seperate rooms. It had been wonderful to wake up next to Newt this morning, but of course they would have to keep up appearances now that they were more or less in public. They might be officially engaged, but not yet married. And if she knew one thing, it was that British society still frowned heavily on 'indecent behaviour' between unmarried people.

She tucked the key into her pocket and smiled "Thank you. So, what are our exact plans for today?"

Newt grinned into his Butterbeer. "We'll go to Hogwarts!"

 

* * *

 

They had had a quick lunch meal at The Three Broomsticks and then freshend up a bit before stepping out of their inn and heading off to Hogwarts. This time around, Tina was a little wiser and dressed appropriately for the cold air of the Scottish Highlands.

She could see the appeal of this place a little better now that she did not have to focus on keeping warm. It was a cozy and secluded place up in the mountains, easy to protect from discovery and out of the way from any No-Maj dwellings. Accessible only by magical means from the looks of it. The Auror in her approved wholeheartedly of the setup of this place.

And the tourist in her enjoyed the look Hogsmeade village. The cute little houses, so different from what she was used to in New York, and Christmas decorations still up in every shop window and between the houses. There were a lot of fir trees here, decorated with enchanted candles that never stopped burning unless told to, holly and mistletoe. It looked almost a little too picturesque.

They made their way out of the village and Newt led them onto a wellworn path over snowy hills and through dark forests until they had reached an enormous metal gate, where a wizard in purple robes and a pointy hat was waiting for them.

"Ah, Mr. Scamander. And the lovely Miss Goldstein, too! Welcome to Hogwarts," he greeted them from the other side.

"It's good to see you, Professor Dumbledore," Newt replied as the gate opened for them.

Before they could enter the school grounds however, an Auror from the Ministry of Magic stepped up from and stopped them with a stern face.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'll need to see some papers, please." Newt handed over his passport with a frown, as did Tina, and both waited patiently for the Auror to finish his inspection.

"Seems to be in order," he said with a nod and handed them their papers back before he cast a quick " _Revelio!_ " in their direction. Only when nothing about them changed after the Revealing-Charm, the Auror let them enter the grounds and vanished back to where he had come from.

"Terribly sorry about that," the wizard, Professor Dumbledore, apologized, "our security has been pretty tight since Grindelwald vanished into nothing.... the Hogsmeade weekends are a nightmare, let me tell you."

They nodded in understanding, Hogwarts was not the only place to have upped their security since Grindelwald went underground... everyone was on high alert and waiting for the next strike to happen.

"As I heard, the two of you were not just present but actively involved in the capture of Gellert Grindelwald last year," Dumbledore continued their conversation as they were on their way again.

Newt agreed. "Yes Professor. That was more of a coincidence, though. We didn't know it was him."

"Really? What happened?" Dunbledore asked and Tina wondered if he really did not know... the story of Grindelwald's capture had only been a major headline in basically every wizarding newspaper and magazine last year.

Newt frowned. "Well, after the Obscurial was... destroyed, I managed to restrain a certain Mr. Graves with the help one of my beasts and Tina here relieved him of his wand before he was revealed not to be Percival Graves at all but in fact Grindelwald himself. But I'm sure you knew that already, Professor, didn't you?"

"Not the part about him being disarmed, no." Dumbledore pondered for a moment. "Well, Grindelwald has yet to be rediscovered, so all we can do is wait for now. And I suggest that we have a cup of tea or two in the meanwhile."

Their way continued uphill over snowcovered mounds and rocky hills towards an old castle on a cliff overlooking a sizable lake. Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the oldest magical education establishments around and the one Ilvermorny had been modelled after.

"Have you been to Hogwarts before, Miss Goldstein?" Dumbledore asked when she had stopped to take in the sight before her.

"No," she managed to answer. "It looks quite impressive, though."

They entered the castle through a massive portal into a huge entrance hall and walked up (and down) quite a number of different staircases until they stood in front of an old wooden door labelled 'Albus Dumbledore – Deputy Head of Transfiguration'.

Soon after Tina found herself in a comfortable and cluttered office, with a cup of coffee in hand (offered to her without question) and her fiancé immersed in conversation with his former teacher.

"I'm a bit surprised to see you without your case, Newton. I would have like to take a look at it again, see what you've done with it since I helped you set it up."

Tina smiled at the piece of knowledge she had just been handed. _So this is where Newt got his case._

"Uhm, yes. I already had trouble bringing it into the Ministry the other day, you see, since apparently I could hide just about anything in there... I didn't want to cause a similar scene here as well, so I left it back at the Three Broomsticks."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I do remember a time when causing a scene would not have stopped you from bringing it anyway."

Newt's cheeks turned rosy. "People change," he muttered and took another drink from his cup of tea.

"Let's get on to the reason I invited you to come here, shall we?" Dumbledore produced a stack of papers with some official looking seals on them. "Headmaster Dippet was so kind as to leave these lying around. I'm sure he won't mind me having a look at them, or possibly correct a thing or two while at it. So take a look and have at it, Newton."

Newt took the papers gingerly. "Eh, are you sure about this, Professor? I wouldn't want to get you into trouble, sir."

Dumbledore simply raised an eyebrow and he quickly tucked into the pile of papers with head bowed. Just like a schoolboy who had just been reprimanded by his teacher. Tina smirked... she could imagine this very scene happening (repeatedly) to an adolescent Newt Scamander.

"So, Miss Goldstein, how do you like England so far?" Dumbledore asked as Newt went over what looked like a curriculum for the 'Care of Magical Creatures' elective course.

Tina looked at the wizard in his bright purple robes, who was watching her intently. There was a vast intelligence and curiosity lingering behind those blue eyes.

"Well, I've liked what I've seen of it so far, Professor. Diagon Alley is a pretty spectacular place, as is the village Hogsmeade. I have yet to see Hogwarts properly, though."

Newt's former teacher chuckled. "Well, I thought I'd leave the honours of showing you around to Mr. Scamander. Your fiancé surely has a different perspective on this place than I do."

Tina chuckled. Yes, Newt would definitely have a different perspective to what made Hogwarts special. They continued talking for a while, mostly about the current news and state of things in America. Dumbledore seemed to know quite a bit about basically everything, and had his own opinion about it, too. Quite a rare combination, since people usally tended to either know a lot without making their mind up or have a lot of opinions about things they didn't actually have enough knowledge of.

"This is all purely theoretical," Newt stated incredulously after going through all the pages. "Where's the practical application? How will students learn about magical creatures if they'll never get to see one?"

"Ah yes, I wondered about that myself," Dumbledore answered with a smile and went over to Newt again. "A purely theoretical class just won't keep students interested, much less teach them proper use and care for creatures. But I think with a renowned Magizoologist like yourself on my side the Headmaster might actually listen to a proposal to change this."

Newt nodded. "I'll write to him, then, explain that magical creatures can best be understood if they are actually handled."

"Oh nonsense, Newton! There's a better way to go about this," Dumbledore spoke. "I'd like you and Miss Goldstein to come to the Hogmanay Ball here at Hogwarts on Saturday. The Headmaster will be there of course, and so will some representatives from the Board of Governors and the Department of Magical Education. I'm sure we will be able work this out before the year is over."

Newt was at a loss for words. "Oh, uhm..." He looked at Tina wide-eyed and unsure what do to with this unexpected invitation.

She could see that Newt would like to talk to these people and get his point across, but the prospect of having to attend a ball to do so was keeping him from outright agreeing. As far as she was aware, they had no other plans for that night, so Tina helpfully pitched in.

"Sure, we'd like to come, Professor Dumbledore," she said with a smile in Newt's direction. Some people had to be forced to do what was good for them, and in this case Newt Scamander was one of them. "And if it would help matters, I could give my professional opinion as an Auror as well... "

"Splendid!" the older wizard exclaimed with a smile and retrieved he Headmaster's papers from Newt's hands again. Professor Dumbledore continued to give them a few instructions as to when and where this ball would be and then let them go and explore the school by themselves.

Newt showed her a lot of things inside Hogwarts castle. The Entrance Hall with its hourglasses to count the points for a competition between the four houses of Hogwarts. They contained rubies, emeralds, sapphires and yellow diamonds to reflect the colour of a certain house. The blue of Ravenclaw was taking the lead at the moment.

The Great Hall was quite impressive with its enchanted ceiling to reflect the sky outside, and the hundreds of candles floating above to illuminate the long four house tables as well as the staff table in the back of the hall. It was a little strange to her, that things seemed to be so strictly divided between the houses... tables, dormitories, even a competition was set up between them.

There were four houses as well at Ilvermorny, but they were always encouraged to work together rather than against each other. They didn't even have colours to distinguish which student belonged to which house, so no one could be judged with only one look at a robe.

Tina was sad to hear that Newt couldn't show her any of the actual four houses though, since he didn't know the passwords and the remaining students here would certainly not be amused to have intruders in their common rooms during the holidays. As for his own house, Hufflepuff... there was no password neccessary but apparently there was a security system in place that would douse anyone but a true Hufflepuff (or school administration) entering the common room in vinegar. Newt rather did not want to risk that happening to her... but she had still would have liked to see the cozy and inviting basement rooms Newt had discribed to her.

At some point a pearly white ghost floated out of a wall right in front of Tina, greeted her in the most courteous manner and apologized for startling her so. Newt called him 'Nearly Headless Nick' and Tina found out why that was when he bowed low in front of her in goodbye... his head was almost cut off. The poltergeist they encountered a little later in a smaller corridor was not as polite, though. Tina was glad they didn't have any of those at Ilvermorny.

There was also the school library with a few lonely students sitting over their assignments, it had a very old feeling to it, and a lot of moving staircases that bewildered her to no end. They seemed to change direction at will, no matter if there were people on them or not. They just... moved.

The Grand Staircase in the main part of the castle was home to hundreds of portraits, ranging from historical witches and wizards to still life portraits of a fruit basket. Somewhere there was a fat lady singing in a not too enjoyable voice, making the inhabitants of the surrounding portraits leave their frames in a hurry. She seemed none too pleased and sang even louder in retaliation.

It seemed that there was a certain order to Hogwarts... and a distinct balancing chaos as well. It seemed to work quite well.

 

They even stayed for dinner in the Great Hall, earning themselves a few strange looks from the students at the other end of the Hufflepuff table and across the hall. No one seemed to recognize Newt, though... or at least they did not approach him if they did.

"So... you're still wearing your house colours, hm?" Tina teased him. She had recognized the yellow and black emblem as Hufflepuff house, the same colours as the scarf he wore in winter. It might also explain his love for strangely yellowish waistcoats.

Newt smiled shyly. "It's a good scarf," he answered and became quite interested in the food in front of him. Tina chuckled softly.

"I didn't ask, but... was it okay that I accepted Dumbledore's invitation? You didn't look so keen on going, but I thought meeting with those people might be important to you."

"It's okay. You know me, I'm not one for these mingling events, but... here at Hogwarts it might not be as bad as back at the Ministry." He looked at her with a small smile. "I'd only have agreed if you would come with me, but I wasn't so sure if you'd like to go at all."

"Well, we're both going now. There might be dancing, and I certainly don't want to miss out on the opportunity to be twirled around the room by you, Mr. Scamander."

This made Newt grin as he answered. "Neither do I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this we've left the Manor behind... less Downton Abbey now, more Harry Potter.  
> I hope I did Hogwarts justice in my short descriptions from Tina's POV. And it's so hard to write younger versions of established characters... Dumbledore in his fourties. Not yet as old and wise as we know him. 
> 
> Next chapter will have more of Hogwarts and it's surroundings... and there's gonna be a visitor.


	23. Offerings and Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina gets a tour around the Hogwarts school grounds, freely offered apologies and a quite neccessary explanation.

The next morning they explored Hogsmeade for a while. Honeydukes had been a favourite of Tina's... she really had quite a sweet tooth. The bag they had carried back to her room at the Three Broomsticks contained Glacial Snow Flakes, Nougat Chunks, Toffe and Salt Water Taffy as well was some Pumpkin Pasties and a few (or rather a lot of) assorted chocolates.

It was just after noon when they left the inn again and Newt had another destination in mind for them. There was something he'd like Tina to see... if they had any luck finding it, that is.

"Newt, where are we going?" Tina asked as he, shortly after passing the Hogwarts gates for a second time in as many days, led them off the trodden path going up to the castle.

"Oh, you'll see," he answered her with a gleeful smile and left it at that. They hadn't toured the Hogwarts grounds yet, so they had taken a right off the main path and went to see the Quidditch Pitch first. From there Newt took them by the Herbology Greenhouses and the Owlery to the Great Lake. The grounds around them were still frozen and covered in a layer of snow, but that made the landscape actually look just a little more beautiful then the dreary green of the Highlands usually was.

"You know, the students arrive here by train from London. Most of them take the carriages provided from the station to go to the castle, but the first years always arrive at Hogwarts over the lake," he told her with a smile as they walked along the shore. "The castle looks quite impressive in the dark from down there." He looked whistfully over the grey waters and up to the castle on their left.

Tina chuckled. "Reliving the memory?"

"Kind of, yes. I mean, Theseus had told me quite a bit about Hogwarts, he was already in sixth year when I finally got to attend. But seeing it like that for the first time was _really_ impressive... the distant lights slowly coming closer while you're rowing over the lake until suddenly there's this huge castle above you."

He wached Tina throwing a stone over and into the water. "There are Merpeople in there, at the bottom of the lake. And a squid that should be considerably bigger now than last time I saw it..."

"Do I want to know?" Tina asked with a raised eyebrow but chuckling.

He smirked. "I'm sure it will inevitably come up at the ball tomorrow, so you may not have a choice there." There were a few students heading their way, so they opted to leave the shore of the lake and walk back to the castle.

"I used to love Herbology," Newt told her as they passed the Greenhouses again. There were a lot of memories here. "I'd have at least a little contact with nature and living things, caring for plants and studying their usefulness to wizardkind. No one seemed particularly interested in doing the same for magical creatures, though."

"That's gonna change now," Tina replied with a proud smile that Newt couldn't help but answer. _Yes, things might change now._

"My favourite class was Charms," she continued as they entered one of the outer courtyards. "I hated Devination, though, I was absolutely untalented at it."

"I didn't even take it, Devination is an elective course here at Hogwarts," Newt said and led them through the maze of courtyards, aisles and hidden doors. "I chose Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies instead, both were quite interesting in their own way."

They had left the castle behind them again while talking about the different classes they had or had not taken during their time at school, and now approached a dark and for some people rather uninviting treeline. Tina grinned at him as she saw their next destination. "Is that...?"

"The Forbidden Forest, yes. Well, not so much forbidden anymore since neither of us are students here, or underage." Newt stopped and looked at Tina with a shy smile. "I remember that you were quite excited to hear about Unicorns. I'd like to go and uhm, see if we'll be able to find some."

Tina gaped at him. "Are you serious?"

Newt nodded and watched a radiant smile appear on her face. "Lead the way, Mr. Scamander." She looked rather excited when Newt grabbed her hand. Together, they made their way through the trees and shrubbery, following a narrow and barely trodden path into the darkness of the old an dense forest.

"Unicorns are very shy creatures," he explained to Tina, "but I have a notion of where we might find them. You'll have better chances than me at interacting with them, though. They certainly do prefer women and children over any man."

Tina snorted and shook her head. "From what I heard they prefer the innocent most of all. So, I don't think there's much luck for me either, darling. I don't need to pet a Unicorn, I'd just like to see one for real."

Newt shook his head. "That's not true, you know. If you take 'innocent' to, eh, have that certain meaning... I really should have had a decent chance of coming close to them, wouldn't you say? Seeing as... well, you know."

"Seeing as your first kiss happend at age thirty?" she teased him gently.

He blushed a little. "Yes, that." Tina just smiled softly and gripped his hand a little tighter as they continued walking.

Deeper into the forest they heard the sounds of a group of Centaurs galloping by in the distance. Newt was glad they did not speed into their direction, it had been quite a while since he had been here and was not quite sure if the treaty he had made with the Centaurs in fifth year was even still recognised by them. For all he knew they could be encroaching on their territory, always a dangerous thing to do.

It was getting late already and the darkness inside the forest became just a little heavier with daylight dwindling above the trees, when suddenly there was a flash of blindingly pure white visible through the trees. Newt stopped Tina with a hand on her arm.

"There, do you see it?" He pointed towards the bright white patch among grey light. Tina nodded and smiled. "Let's try our luck," he whispered and gently pulled her forwards.

They ventured a little closer, careful not to step on any twigs and send the creature running before Tina even had a chace to at least look at it. They reached the edge of a small clearing where the enchanting creature was pawing at the slightly snow-dusted ground with it's golden hooves. Newt turned to look at Tina, who watched the beast mesmerized. "It's so beautiful," she whispered, eyes wide in marvel.

He smiled and gestured for her to go on, but Tina remained rooted to the spot. "Don't worry, despite having a horn they are peaceful creatures and more prone to run than attack if they feel threatened. And this one has no foal to protect." He looked at her and stroked her cheek lovingly. "Go and meet your Unicorn, Tina."

"You want me to go alone?" Her eyes were still wide in wonder.

"It won't let my come near," he chuckled softly. "Believe me I've tried my best many years back. It will run before you're even close when I'm coming with you." He dug a few stems of lavender from one of his pockets and gave it to Tina. "They are rumored to favour it, so once the Unicorn has chosen to come to you, you can offer to feed it some lavender. You'll be safe, love, I'm here watching you."

So Tina stepped out onto the clearing by herself, mesmerized by the sight of the whiter-than-snow creature in front of her and with Newt watching her from just behind the treeline.

The Unicorn looked up at her careful approach and mustered her intently with head held high. Tina stopped for a moment not to spook the creature too much by her sudden arrival, then slowly continued her way when it didn't make to run immediately.

"Hey," Newt heard her say to the beast in a soft voice as she was halfway into the clearing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

Newt grinned. He had said the very same thing the first time he'd tried to approach one of these beautiful creatures. That had also been the point where it had scrutinzed him, turned tail and ran. The Unicorn still looked at Tina, though, and didn't move. Neither to flee nor to approach her.

Tina stopped just a few steps short from the creature with a hand stretched out in an inviting gesture, pausing respectfully for the Unicorn to make the decision of coming to her or not. Newt held his breath.

After a minute of studying the witch in front of it, the creature took a step forward with its horned head still held high, then another, and another, until it had reached Tina. Newt felt his face almost split under his grin.

"Aren't you a sight to behold," she said in a shaky voice as the Unicorn carefully nuzzled her outstretched hand.

_Yes_ , Newt thought and smiled to himself, _you really are. You, and the beast as well._

"Are you hungry?" Tina put her other hand into her pocket and retrieved some of the lavender to offer it to the creature, who sniffed at the stems for a moment before picking them from her open palm.

Newt marvelled at his fiancée. Tina really was a natural with creatures, she'd just managed to feed a Unicorn.

"I have never met on of your kind before," Tina told the beast and carefully moved a hand to its neck to pet it. Her usually pale skin looked dark and dull compared to the luminous white coat of the Unicorn.

"You are a creature of pure magic, aren't you?" She reached into her pocket again and retrieved more of the lavender stems to offer, which the Unicorn happily accepted.

As the last of the stems were gone the Unicorn continued to nuzzle Tina's hand, then moved on to sniff at her coat and finally her face. From his hiding place it looked like Tina was getting kissed by a Unicorn and New chuckled. He didn't even find it in him to become the jealous fiancé. But he did feel quite a bit jealous of Tina now, this wonderful human creature who got to meet an equally wonderful but for him unattainable magical creature.

It was at his louder than intended laugh that the Unicorn whipped its head over towards the trees and stared to where the sound had come from, nostrils flaring and looking more tense, ready to run at the first sign of impending danger.

"Shh, he's not here to hurt you either," Tina spoke, but the Unicorn looked restless suddenly, stomping its hooves in a slightly threatening gesture. Newt realised why. He took one step forward and came out of hiding, revealing himself to the creature so it could see the hidden threat clearly now.

"I won't come any closer," he spoke softly and kept his body in an unthreatening stance, hands visible and his eyes locked onto the beautiful creature in front of him, or rather both of them. He caught Tina smiling serenely as the Unicorn relaxed just the smallest bit, just enough to enjoy Tina's calming strokes on is neck and back again. But it was only a few more minutes before she started to say goodbye again.

"I'll let you go on your way now," Tina spoke and looked into the eyes of the beast. "Thank you so much for coming to me, I never thought that you would. I'm not nearly as pure as you."

_Not true_ , Newt couldn't help but think. The creature snickered softly and nuzzled Tina's face one last time before she took a few steps back and watched the creature gallop off into the forest.

Her eyes were watery as Tina turned around to walk back to him, but she was smiling brightly. "Thank you," she whispered and hugged him.

Newt chuckled and caught her in his arms. "That was all you, love. I didn't do anything but point you in the right direction."

She giggled into his shoulder. "Then thank you for pointing."

Newt nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Anytime, Tina. So... was it a mare or a stallion, you think?"

Tina snapped her head back to look at him appalled, but calmed down again when she saw the teasing expression on his face. He had not actually meant for her to answer that question.

She hit him playfully on the shoulder she had just giggled into and shook her head. "You know, I really didn't have a mind to check, Mr. Magizoologist. Just what have you been watching back there in the trees if not the Unicorn?"

Newt's expression softened as he admitted, "The other magical creature standing right next to it."

 

* * *

 

They returned to the Three Broomsticks after dark, glad to enter the homely warmth of the house as the wind had picked up again outside. Tina was still elated from their meeting with the Unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.

The good mood vanished however when they entered the private upstairs room the barmaid had pointed them to. An unexpected visitor was waiting for them, sitting alone at the table in front of the lit fireplace with a drink in hand.

"Hello Newton. Miss Goldstein," Theseus spoke in greeting and looked up at them from where he sat. 

Newt was more than a bit surprised to see his brother here in Hogsmeade, and not quite happy about it either. Their last meeting had not exactly ended on a good note and he glanced at Tina with concern. She did not seem very upset though and confidently moved forward to take a seat at the table.

"Mr. Scamander. To what do we owe this... pleasure?" she asked in a voice that really did not hide her feelings towards the man in front of her, and pleasure at seeing him was certainly not one of them. Newt understood her completely and followed to sit beside her.

"I've come to apologize," Theseus said in a sensible tone that actually conveyed honesty of his intentions. "Miss Goldstein, I am very sorry for the way I treated you at the Manor, the things I said. None of them were justified whatsoever... Please, forgive me."

_What an unexpected surprise_ , Newt thought wryly, _Theseus willingly apologizing for his behaviour_. He couldn't remember that ever happening, at least not since he had graduated from school. Tina next to him didn't say anything and looked at Theseus with a stony face, willing him to go on if he had anything more to say.

Theseus swallowed at the silent treatment he got, then continued a little less certain of himself. "I've though long about what you said to me later that night and ... you are right of course. Certainly about everything concerning my brother... and concerning myself."

Newt frowned. _Tina had talked to Theseus?_ That must have happened while he was busy shutting everyone out... being a nervous wreck inside his suitcase.

Theseus continued. "I certainly can't judge you negatively on being in love with him and accepting his proposal when it came." He started to smile a little. "You see, I married against our father's wishes for the same bloody reason." 

"Then why?" Tina asked exasperated. "Why did you even come to those conclusions about me? Do I look particularly interested in riches and fame or what was is that set you off in that direction? I just don't get it!"

And neither did Newt. Those slanders had come completely out of thin air for him, and for his parents too from what he had gathered. He might be biased concerning Tina, but they certainly were not.

Theseus answered haltingly. "Not at all... I just... I had to... find something unpleasant about you. Some base motive for chosing my brother of all people. No one had had any kind of interest in him until his book started to sell, you see. And being after money just fit perfectly to everything you had told us about you, concerning your background at least. I was... clutching at straws."

Newt had kept his silence until now, since it was Tina who needed to be apologized to and not him. "So you think it's okay to slander and insult my fiancée like that, because you what? Thought she was too good for the likes of me?" he asked disgruntled.

"No," Theseus replied immediately. "Quite the opposite, brother. She's... good for you. I can't say we've seen you happy like this in a very long while." He paused and took another drink before continuing mutedly. "I... had my own base motives for acting that way."

"And what exactly would those be?" Newt inquired sharply, warily eyeing his brother who chose to avert his eyes and look over into the fireplace instead.

"This is not meant to be an excuse for my actions," he spoke, "but... I'm not in a good place right now, Newt, and frankly, knowing at least one other person was down there with me made everything just a bit more bearable... And then you come home for Christmas and present us with a fiancée." He took another drink and looked back at Newt. "Let's be honest, not even you thought you'd find someone to spend your life with and get married... unless completely by accident somewhere off in foreign parts."

Newt chuckled softly at his words, they were true after all, but soon turned serious again. "What exactly do you mean you're 'not in a good place', Thes? Is everything alright with you? With Arabella?"

He nodded. "Yes, she's fine."

"Then what?" Newt asked.

Theseus looked over towards a silent Tina for a moment before he gave an answer.

"Do you remember what we spoke about all those years ago, when we were sharing a tent that bloody cold night somewhere in a forest on the Russian border?"

Newt nodded. That was one of the very few times they'd had anything like a real conversation as equals, brother to brother... They had talked about what they wanted to do with their futures, provided they made it out of the warzone alive and in one piece.

"Yeah, well. That's not gonna happen in my case," he continued casually.

Newt frowned. "What do you-?" But then he remembered. "Oh!"

Back then, Theseus had been dreaming of courting the beautiful Arabella Brown, which he had started to do right after returning from the war and eventually made her his wife. He'd also gotten the job he'd envisioned himself in, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and at such a young age, too. But what Theseus had really wanted at some point in life was a home full of children... which after almost six years of marriage were still lacking.

"Yes, 'Oh!'."

"And it made you feel better to know that at least I wouldn't have that either. So you... tried to run Tina off with all that?"

Theseus nodded and took another sip from his glass.

"What exactly am I missing here?" Tina wondered, but Newt didn't know how to answer her without revealing too much detail. Theseus would've had his reasons to not state his issues outright in front of her... so probably he shouldn't either.

But his brother chose to answer that question himself. "I can't have the family that I want, Miss Goldstein, and I was... coping with that, knowing Newt here wouldn't have one either for the continuous lack of a lady in his life. And now he's getting married." 

Tina frowned in confusion. "How is that an excuse for calling me out as a gold-digger in front of the entire family?"

"It isn't," Theseus said grimly. "It was... a very wrong effort to return the balance I had come to rely on. I... wasn't myself that evening. Your existence just pulled the rug from under my feet, I guess."

Tina thought for a long moment on that, hard enough to have that little crease appear between her eyebrows. "Well, I do see how my being there was surprising in more ways than one. But I'm not ready to forgive you yet, Mr. Scamander. I'll definitely need more time for that."

"Yes, I understand," Theseus answered and nodded.

And Newt did, too. He knew that Theseus' words had hurt Tina greatly. Less the general accusation of being in it for money, but the allegations of how far she would go to secure a good life for herself (and her sister). Tina was an honest person and never would use such furtive tactics to get a man's attention and affection. As far as Newt knew, she hadn't even considered a marriage... and was quite content in that, as well. So to hear Theseus accuse her of 'using her female charms' to ensure a 'good marriage' would have been incredibly distressing for Tina. She really was not that kind of woman.

It had dawned on him only the next morning that it wasn't just worry for him that had driven Tina to sleep in his bed that night. In a way she had needed that sort of reassurance and comfort of being close to him for herself as well. 

Silence had fallen between the three of them with Theseus having said what he needed saying and Tina refusing to grant him forgiveness. Only the sounds from the bar underneath them could be heard, until Tina cleared her throat.

"Have you been to see a healer?" she unabashedly asked a surprised Theseus.

Newt grinned at the return of his opinionated Tina Goldstein, the woman who would not let herself be shut out of any conversation simply because the topic might 'not be suited' for a woman.

"Of course, what do you think?" Theseus answered her bewildered, then looked over at Newt as if to ask 'Is she always that forward?'.

"How did that go, then?" Newt inquired further, chuckling at his brother's reaction to actually meeting the real Tina Goldstein. 

Theseus shook his head at the pair in front of him. "You two are way too much alike. Where did you find her again, Newt?"

"New York. And you're deflecting, Thes."

Theseus turned somber again. "Chances are slim to none... on my part. Looks quite like your children will be the only ones to continue the family line, little brother."

Newt swallowed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in his skin. His mother would likely use a full range of innuendos on them once he and Tina were married. And he did not look forward to that.

"Do your parents know yet?" Tina asked, clearly thinking along the same lines as he just did.

"No. But Mother has-"

"Keep it that way, please." Newt interrupted him hastily, and caught an approving nod from his fiancée.

Theseus smirked at them both. "I don't know how much longer we can, but we'll try... at least until you've settled that issue between yourselves."

He nodded in thanks.

Theseus had not stayed long after that, having said what he came to say... and probably revealed a bit more then he had intended to reveal. He may have acted confident while answering Tina's inquiry, but he didn't look it. The eyes had given it away, like with any other creature.

 

* * *

 

"I don't know what to make of it," Tina said to Newt later that night when they were just done feeding and caring for his fantastic beasts. Newt stood at one of his work tables, sorting through a few dried herbs and potion ingredients as she spoke. 

"Make of what?" Newt asked, confused by her sudden words. They had been talking about changes that would soon need to be made around the suit case before she had gotten lost in her own mind again, thinking about the events of the evening. Now she leaned backwards against said work table, arms crossed in front of her chest, confused. 

"Theseus' apology. I mean, he seemed kinda sincere, but his behaviour... it just doesn't add up to me."

"What do you mean exactly?" Newt asked with a frown and gave up on his sorting to look at her instead.

"Well... what he said. He did marry Arabella for love... but then why did he act all overly flirty with me when we first met? You said he's a ladies man. Why would he go after numerous other girls when he's so in love with his wife? And while she was right there, too."

Theseus had been overly forward with her even before he knew she was engaged to Newt, that extremely pretentious way he had greeted her with a kiss on the hand and those leering looks. She had felt like being undressed by his eyes, and that was not a good feeling with a complete stranger.

Newt thought for a moment on his answer. "I don't know. I only know that he was quite besotted with Arabella years ago and married her even though our father didn't initially approve. We haven't really been that close, you know?" He paused. "It... well, it might be a behaviour to, eh... compensate? For... well, for feeling like... a lesser man? I guess."

Tina had thought along those lines, too... Theseus Scamander did strike her as a man with an ego and receiving the news of not being able to have kids would probably have been quite a blow that needed to be... compensated. And knowing this might also have been a reason why his wife had been rather... lenient with her flirtatious husband.

"Do you think he was serious?" Tina wondered. The question that had haunted her mind ever since Theseus had left.

"With the apology? I for one was quite surprised he even came by to apologize at all... he's not known to do that. Arabella might be behind it, though... she did seem rather appalled by his behaviour."

Tina nodded and thought for a moment. "Did you get it? The reason he acted like that, I mean. I think I'm missing some vital information here and Theseus was not exactly forthcoming in his explanation..."

Newt looked at her in thought, then slowly started to speak again. "What you probably should know is, that there's a lot of pressure on him. Not outwardly, but... in terms of general expectations, society. You wouldn't know this, being American." He smiled apologetically after those words before continuing. "He's the oldest son, war hero, heir to the Scamander family... Honestly, every step he's been taking in his life has been judged and appraised by others. And he's done brilliantly in most of it. I think the only time he was judged badly was when he chose Arabella over any other 'more suitable' options for a bride."

Tina nodded. "Okay... pressure because he's being scrutinized by other people."

"Not just other people... more like the high society of pure-blood wizardkind in England. They like to gossip, you know, the kind of stuff that is only traded at dinner parties and social gatherings. You won't stand much of a chance being successful in a Ministry career if these people think in any way badly of you."

Tina frowned.

"Not being able to... continue the family line is quite a serious thing in those circles. And people will think the fault to be hers of course, not his. No matter what the actual truth is. But it will be judged as a serious failure for him anyway, since he chose her."

"I still don't think I get it. What has him being judged to do with running me off?" All this higher social circle stuff was really not for her. Would she be dragged into this rediculous kind of thing now, too?

"What he was trying to do..." Newt stopped and thought for a moment. "He was coping with all of it knowing that I was even more of a failure in those people's eyes. No money, no actual career, no wife, certainly no family... that sort of thing." He smiled awkwardly now.

Tina suddenly had an idea where this was going. And it started to make a little more sense. "And now you are famous for writing your book, have money and are engaged..."

"Exactly... So you see, he was trying to get rid of you in a way. Insinuating you were not welcome by... doing what he did."

"So he would not be upstaged by his former failure of a little brother?"

Newt nodded. "Yes. It all sounds rather ridiculous, but that is sadly how these things are..." 

Ridiculous, yes. Also understandable in a way. People did a lot of strange things when suddenly faced with potential loss of status, reputation, career, their life's dreams. Especially those who had a lot to loose. And the Head of Magel Law Enforcement certainly had, if his position really could be toppled by those people and their gossip. There was one last thing she needed to know, though. 

"And are you under that kind of scrutiny and expectations, too?" Tina asked, stepping closer to Newt. 

Newt chuckled but shook his head. "No. They may still judge me, but... I've sort of opted out of those circles a long time ago." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a very loving gesture of his. "You know that I'm not letting you go unless you explicitly ask me to disappear from your life, right?"

Tina smiled at him in answer and kissed him. "Not gonna happen," she whispered against his lips. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I hope that made sense to you, since I have found no better way to write this down :D  
> In short: Theseus was an ass for stressful personal reasons and expectation pressures, but Tina still hasn't forgiven him. (You go, girl!)
> 
> Next chapter will be New Year's Eve, which means we'll attend a ball at Hogwarts!
> 
> PS: I was very disappointed to find out that apparrently Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans were not around in the 1920s yet. Tina would have liked to try them :(


	24. Ballrooms and Night Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Year's Eve in Scotland. Welcome to Hogwart's Hogmanay Ball!

Newt had never before attended a Hogmanay Ball at Hogwarts since his mother had always insisted on both her sons spending the holidays at the Manor... as she basically still did these days.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror of his room, the one at the Three Broomsticks and not the one in his case, and frowned disgruntled at his reflection.

Newt really didn't like wearing any kind of formal dress robes, they felt too prim, too restrictive. His usual clothing was chosen with care for comfort as well as practicality. Simple cotton and linen shirts, comfortable on his skin and easy to repair or replace when neccessary; a snug waistcoat to keep him warm, usually in some form of yellow (he was a Hufflepuff after all and proud of it) with a few unobtrusive pockets to store a watch and other smaller neccessities.

His blue overcoat was actually more than met the eye... an accumulation extended pockets to fit just about anything he might need on the road, charmed to keep him dry from rain, warm in winter and cool in summer and most importantly keep him properly dressed to somewhat blend in among his fellow humans. His usual tweed suits were of a sturdy and durable material, mostly earthy in colour and fitted in a way that allowed him to _move_ without any restrictions, which was very important in his line of work.

Quite unlike these dreaded dress robes that felt too tight and restricting around the shoulders and torso, but were too sweeping just about anywhere else.

A knock on the door snapped him from his sceptical thoughts and he quickly moved to open it to an elegantly dressed Tina Goldstein. In a floorlength black evening gown with silver and golden sequin ornaments, that hugged her silhuette in just the right way but flared out around her thighs in waves of a rather translucent black fabric that gave an enticing view of her lower legs. _Stunning as usual,_ Newt thought and quite forgot his good manners over gaping at her.

"Are you going to let me in, darling?" Tina chuckled softly and snapped him from his thoughts once again. He felt his face heating and finally stepped aside to let this beautiful woman enter his room.

"You look, uhm... good. Stunning," he mumbled once the door was closed behind them. She definitely cut a better figure than him dressed up like this.

Tina smiled shyly at his words and Newt realised that he did not compliment her nearly often enough... out loud, that is. He should tell her more often just how beautiful and wonderful she was to him, no matter what occasion she was dressed for... or undressed for, as his mind so unhelpfully provided him with images.

"You're still missing your tie, Newt," Tina chuckled as she swept her eyes over him in his not nearly as glamorous black dress robes and white button-down.

He turned around to grab the still missing tie from the back of a chair behind him. As was his habit, Newt had tried to put off donning that offending piece of fabric to the last minute.

"Here, let me," Tina chuckled as she took the tie from his hand. Newt felt his face heat again as she went to work and knotted the fabric around his neck by hand. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture that spoke of comfortable familiarity.

When she was done, Tina took a step back and mustered him with a slight frown before she pointed her wand at him and murmured a few charms he could not make much sense of. Newt let her work though, hoping she wouldn't set his hair on fire or do something similarly distressing.

"Yes, that's a little better," she smiled after a few moments and nodded appreciatively.

When Newt turned to look at himself in the mirror again, he noticed his plain dark waistcoat had been transformed to match the sequinned ornaments on Tina's dress in a fine silver and gold stitching. Thankfully no sequins, though.

He grinned at her through the mirror. "Well, that makes it obvious, then... I'm spoken for." He turned around to peck her lips. "And you are also way better at Transfigurative Charms than I could ever be..."

"Well, I told you," Tina replied in a flirtatious voice, "Charms was my favourite subject... and _you_ do look very charming tonight, Newt."

He chuckled at her very bad (but charming?) play on words. "So do you, my love. Tell me, did you bring that dress all the way from New York on the off chance that you would have opportunity to wear it?" It seemed a rather absurd thing to do... but then again he was the one to carry a suitcase full of magical creatures with him wherever he went.

Tina smiled and shook her head no. "While you were working on your proposals for the Headmaster, I've had quite a lengthy morning at Gladrags Wizardwear trying to find something... a little more _me_. They have a disconcerting knack for over the top accessories there." She pulled an unhappy grimace at the memory. "That witch just couldn't understand why I wasn't gonna wear a swan feather dress and matching hat."

Newt snorted, remembering the assorted curiosities Gladrags had to offer on a good day. "I'm sure you would have looked lovely in that as well," he told her, then added in a softer voice, "you always do."

She blushed a little. "You flatter me too much, Mr. Scamander!" _No, just barely enough,_ his mind replied.

"Shall we go, then?" Newt asked and offered her his arm to take. It was the polite thing to do, even if Tina Goldstein certainly did not need help walking.

She threaded her arm with his and grinned. "We shall. Let's go and tell those Ministry and School Board people a thing or two about how to teach the care of magical creatures."

Newt smiled appreciatively. Yes, Tina was quite a woman after his liking.

 

* * *

 

"Have you been to one of these balls before?" Tina asked curiously as they entered the castle grounds.

"No, we never spent our holidays at school, my mother was rather adamant about that."

The Hogmanay Ball at Hogwarts would be held in the Great Hall of course. Hogmanay was the Scottish version of New Year's Eve, Newt knew, though he did not know what was supposed to be specifically Scottish about the ball here at Hogwarts... what with students and guests from all over the British Isles attending. It would probably be quite similar to the ball his brother had forced him to attend at the Ministry, back when he first started to work there. It had been quite a stuffy and dreadful affair and Newt had taken the first possible chance to leave without offending anyone.

Professor Dumbledore was the one to welcome them at the portal doors and lead the way into the Great Hall. The usual House Tables had been removed to create an open space for dancing, instead there were many smaller tables located around the side walls of the hall. A large Christmas tree was still decorating one corner of the hall and a band of musicians had been set up at the front of the hall where usually the High Table for the staff was placed. But the ceiling was still enchanted to look like the sky outside and illuminated by numerous candles as it had been just two days ago.

"Well, aren't you two quite the pair!" Dumbledor said "The Headmaster was thrilled when I told him you'd be attending the New Year's Eve festivities, Newton. He insists that you and your fiancée be seated at a table with him, of course."

"Will you be sitting with us too, Professor?" Newt asked hopeful.

"Me? Oh no, I'm somewhere across the hall, I think. I haven't really bothered to look into that yet."

Newt was a little surprised. "So, I'll talk to the Headmaster alone, then?"

"Yes. Although it would be better to wait until Headmaster Dippet himself will come to speak on that topic, which I'm sure will happen before dinner is over."

Dumbledore introduced them to the Headmaster Armando Dippet, an old wizard with long white hair and a neatly trimmed white beard, though those introductions really were not neccessary. Apparrently they were both well-known these days, which wasn't exactly a good thing in Newt's mind.

"Good evening, Headmaster Dippet," he said after Dumbledore was done.

"Ah, Mr. Scamander. I'm so glad you could make it! And your fiancée too, of course. Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Goldstein." He moved to kiss a blushing Tina's hand in greeting, though not in the overly pretentious fashion Theseus had done, but the more traditional way that did not include an actual touch of the lips. Dippet was an old wizard after all, and some traditions were hard to unlearn.

Soon after that, Dumbledore left them with the Headmaster to meet a few carefully selected guests, who all seemed very pleased to meet him in person. Newt was close to feeling overwhelmed by this attention and somewhere in the back of his mind it occurred to him that thanks to Dumbledore he had ended up becoming the unwilling guest of honour of the Hogmanay Ball. Everyone had been expecting him.

There was an endless line of people, visitors and students alike, and endless amounts of handshakes and smalltalk he had to endure, which was only made bearable by Tina and her charming ability to keep conversation light and to the point if neccessary. He enjoyed answering interested questions concerning the creatures he had studied and written about, but anything else regarding current events, the geneal state of things or the weather he gladly let his fiancée handle. Tina was so much better with people than him.

There were a few drinks (non-alcoholic for him, thank you very much), then dinner was served in the usual Hogwarts way of simply appearing on the table once the house-elves in the kitchen were given the go-ahead. Not long into the main course conversation at their smaller table of six turned to the one topic Newt had come to talk about.

It turned out that he didn't really have to argue much for a revision of the curriculum. Headmaster Dippet himself had asked Newt on his opinion concerning practical and theoretical teaching and was soon sold on the idea of including a few of the easier to handle creatures in practical units.

"Right you are, Mr. Scamander. Like Herbology or Potions, some things just can't be learned from a book alone!" He laughed.

"Indeed, Headmaster. It would be so much more favourable for the students to work with actual creatures and use the knowledge they learned in a theoretical session earlier."

"Yes, yes. What do you think, Mr. Edgecomb, Mr. Yaxley? Can that be arranged?"

The Head of Magical Education, Mr. Yaxley, as well as the Chairman of the School Board, Mr. Edgecomb, who both sat with them at the table, were not so easily convinced though. It took the dazzling Auror Goldstein and her tale of how she learned to care for magical creatures to tentatively agree to a revision... given that Newt would make the time to go over the available options with them in the new year.

They were done with their agenda before desert was served, and Newt had even been given a small amount of input on this new version of a curriculum for 'Care of Magical Creatures'. _This really couldn't have gone any better_ , Newt thought and finally took a sip from the Elf-Made Wine he had left untouched so far to keep a clear head.

 

* * *

 

Dinner was over and their task of proposing a revision successfully finished. Newt had been rather in a happy mood all evening, or at least since the number of admirers wanting to talk to him had dwindled with the start of dinner.

It had dawned on Tina right upon entering the Great Hall, when every eye in the hall had turned to them, that they had been expected. And when Dumbledore, today dressed in a festive light blue robe strewn with shimmering snowflakes and a white fur hat on his head, had announced their seating at the table for High Officials it had become clear to her that they were unwittingly to be the guests of honours... or at least Newt was to be. He braved the onslaught of admirers though, and now he was in a smiling happily having achieved his goal for the evening. And Tina felt wonderful, too.

While Newt had been busy discussing the obliviative properties of Swooping Evil venom with a Ministry employee, Tina had been hesitantly approached by a group of young girls and asked about her life as an Auror. Apparently there really were next to none female Aurors working at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement here in Britain, and none of those few were as widely known as Tina herself seemed to be. She had apparently become well-known since that article about Newt in the _Daily Prophet,_ as the woman who snapped that author Scamander up.

Tina had gladly shared a few anecdotes with the girls and encouraged them to go and become their own women, not the women other people expected them to be. It was an important lesson she herself had learned very early in life. It may be for the delicious Elf-Made Wine, but Tina felt pretty good about herself right now.

"Well, Miss Goldstein. Would you care for a dance?" Newt asked her when the music had started up. He looked at her from underneath his fringe and smiled in that awkwardly adorable way she had come to like so much on him.

"Sure. Lead the way, Mr. Scamander," she answered, just a tad more flirtatious than she had intended.

They joined the few other couples on the dance floor for a quick two-step, something Newt was obviously more familiar and comfortable with than the wild and careless dances that were all the rage in New York. She had learned these steps in school and was little rusty, but Newt turned out to be quite comfortable taking the lead and helping her out.

Between their dances, while sipping on refreshments Newt had fetched for them, Tina watched a number students that had accumulated in one part of the hall. They were awkwardly looking on, not knowing what to do with themselves at a ball without a dance partner, but still too shy to just do the obvious and ask one of the other students around them. Tina remembered being one of those while spending her Christmas holidays at Ilvermorny, there had been a Christmas Ball they attended each and every year. Unlike her, Queenie had always been one of the few students on the dance floor, though.

Tina quite enjoyed not to be part of that group of students anymore. Whenever Newt felt the need for a break from conversation (people and students were still coming up to him to talk or ask for a signature), he asked her for a dance. Thankfully no one dared to cut in on the eccentric Magizoologist and his Auror fiancée, so they were left in peace at least while twirling and gliding on the dance floor.

"Hm... there's still a place of Hogwarts left I'd like to show you, if you're interested," Newt whispered as they danced slowly among the other couples. "Right now would be a good time to leave without too many people noticing."

Tina grinned at him and nodded. If there was something still remaining to be seen, Newt had purposely kept it out of their tour two days ago and left it as something special for tonight. Newt's answering smile had a distinct undertone of mischief and Tina suddenly couldn't wait to see where he would lead them as they walked and danced their way out into the Entrance Hall and made they way up the wide staircase to the right.

Once again, Tina got lost in this huge castle where most of the staircases moved at random and nothing seemed to ever stay the same for long... it was impossible to find your way around this place unless you went to school here for a long time and had everything mapped out in your head. The first year students were probably continuously late for their classes, she mused.

Newt however seemed to know exactly where he was going and at some point they reached a dark corridor and locked door that he charmed to open for them. Soon they climbed the long and winding stairs up to the top of a tower.

They arrived in a circular room full of cabinets, desks and chairs, which looked distinctly like a classroom to Tina. Then they went on over a small walkway and up another flight of winding stairs to an adjoining large circular tower room housing an armillary sphere centered around a replica of Earth and several other globes and models. Here were no small windows but wide archways that opened out on every side of them and gave an incredible view into the night sky.

"The Astronomy Tower," Newt explained with a shy but also excited smile. "Highest tower of the castle, wonderful view... closed off to students unless there are classes."

He walked over to one of the archways and stopped just in front of the railing there. The breeze caught in his hair and made even more of a mess out of it. Tina joined him and took a look at the nighttime landscape in front of her, illuminated only by the soft light of the moon reflected on snow. There was the Great Lake they had walked by just yesterday, surrounded by the mountains of the Scottish Highlands. The Forbidden Forest lay just to their left, she knew. Underneath her she could see the smaller towers, buildings and courtyards of Hogwarts castle, some of which were illuminated by torches and smaller fires in metal baskets.

Tina involuntary shivered as a cold breeze hit her and Newt, ever the gentleman, took off the jacket of his dress robes and put it around her shoulders. _So much more romantic than casting a Charm_. He then proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her close to his chest, resting his chin carefully on her shoulder to look out into the night with her. A very comfortable embrace.

"I always liked to come here, late at night when there were no classes," Newt continued, "and no couples hiding away from prying eyes."

Tina chuckled. "Like we are now?"

Newt hummed in confirmation. "I think I do see the appeal now."

Tina giggled. Of course Newt hadn't been one of _those_ students. She herself did have a kiss or two while hiding on top of some tower or other at Ilvermorny. Those kisses couldn't hold a candle to the one that was soon to come, though. She knew why Newt had led them here.

"It going to be midnight soon," Newt stated. "There will be festive display of fireworks somewhere on the grounds I was told."

"Of course the famous guest of honour knows all the details for the evening," Tina teased.

Newt groaned. "Oh please, don't remind me. If I had known what Dumbledore was actually up to-"

"You would have come anyway," she finished the sentence for him with a knowing grin. "And you did manage to talk those people into making a few changes."

"Yes. But now I also have to appear at the Ministry again. Monday morning at 9 o'cock sharp. How fun."

"It won't be that bad, darling. I'll come with you if you like."

Newt smiled down at her shoulder thankfully. Just then the clock over the portal doors many levels underneath them began to strike midnight. Tina turned around in Newt's arms and smiled at him. _Let's start this year in a good way._

"Happy New Year, Newt," she spoke in a soft voice.

"Happy New Year, Tina," he answered in an equally soft whisper that was almost drowned out by another stroke of the clock. They gaze at each other for a second, both smiling knowingly, and then came together for a kiss. Just a soft touch of their lips at first, that slowly turned into something a little less chaste. Yes, Tina was glad they had come to the privacy of the Astronomy Tower for their New Years Kiss, away from the prying eyes of the other guests... She didn't one anyone else sharing in these intimate moments.

The twelth stroke of the clock had long since gone by and the magical fireworks were in full swing when they came up for air again. Tina leaned her forehead against his, stroking his fringes out of the way so she could see his eyes better.

"I love you, Tina," he whispered and smiled at her adoringly. "I don't think I say that nearly enough."

"I love you, too. And don't worry, your eyes say it more often than you think," she replied, kissed his nose and turned back to the lean against his chest as they watched the red, blue, green and yellow sparks exploding in the nightsky.

"Do you think we should return to the Great Hall again?" Tina asked once the colourful display to celebrate the new year was over. "They're gonna start to miss us at some point."

"Let's stay here just a litte longer," Newt said after a moment. "I don't know how far they take it here with the Hogmanay traditions, but I've been told that it's customary in some places to kiss every person in the room come midnight. I think, I'd rather not take part in such a... strangely intimate tradition with strangers."

"And I certainly don't feel like kissing anyone but you," Tina chuckled. She was okay with the traditional New Years Kiss to someone beloved (like Newt, or her sister before that), but kissing everyone around just for the sake of it seemed just a bit too much even for American standards.

She turned around again in his arms to do just that, kiss her fiancé.

This one did have an even less chaste atmosphere. They had moved a little back and to the side and Newt was pressing her up against the wall between the two archways, kissing her senseless in the best of ways... even after going a little further than kissing, it was still something he relished and paid all his attention to. He stopped again when things got a little too heated though, since this was neither the place not the time for... other things.

 

When they finally made the long trip back into society and the Great Hall, making sure beforehand that there was no make-up smudged or hair wildly out of order, it seemed that they hadn't been missed at all. At least this time no one turned their heads in their direction upon entering... Well, no one but a certain Professor Dumbledore. He winked at them as they made their way around the dance floor and found empty seats at one of the tables, refreshments in hand.

At some point someone had started a rendition of 'Auld Lang Syne' that everyone in the hall had joined in on, students and visitors alike. Even Newt, even Tina herself, though she had to pass on the verses following the first.

The ball was slowly winding down after that and an exhausted Newt and a tired Tina made their way back to Hogsmeade village. When they had left the Three Broomsticks, festivities there were already picking up and it looked to be quite a merry gathering in the downstairs bar room... that impression still held when they returned.

The party here was not winding down yet in the least and both of them were ushered into the room and greeted with a small glass of Firewhisky and a piece of rich fruit cake. It was a while until they were free again to leave for their rooms upstairs...

 

Tina's room was the first they passed and Newt held her close as she moved to unlock the door.

"Tina." He hesitated for a moment before making his mind up about what he wanted to say. "Could we share a bed again tonight?" he asked her shyly, then added hastily, "To sleep. Just to sleep. I'm... too tired for anything else."

Tina smiled. "Yes, I'd like that. " She felt the same.

Newt nodded. "I'll join you in a bit, then." He places a loving kiss on her cheek before moving on to his own door.

Tina entered her room and went about undressing from the various layers of fabric she wore, then removing the smidge of make-up she had put on for tonight and performed some further ablutions. She had just finished putting on her pyjamas when Newt knocked on her door and waited for permission to enter. She let him in quickly and both made their way to the bed, crawling under the blankets and cuddling up close.

Newt sighed as he wrapped an arm around her. "I didn't sleep as well without you there," he confessed. "I woke up repeatedly during the nights and something was missing. Someone."

Tina knew what he was talking about, the same thing had happened to her.

She moved up and over him and kissed him soundly goodnight. "We're both gonna sleep well then tonight."

He smiled. "Yes, we will."

And they did, cuddled up in each other underneath the warm blankets until very late the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaw, wasn't that a sweet ending? :D 
> 
> I'm aware that in our known Potterverse there's no New Year's Eve Ball at Hogwarts, so here's my take on that:  
> These Hogmanay Balls, as well as several others throughout the year, were regularly held up until the start WWII... after that lots of things changed around society and the longstanding tradition of having festive balls just didn't catch on again. 
> 
> For the picture lovers I have my inspiration for Tina's gown and the (for me) obvious choice for Newt's kind of dress robes:  
>    
> Imagine the Harry's robe with the changed waistcoat (embroidered like the gown but less sparkly) and a darker necktie instead of that white bowtie... and possibly just a little more fitted than that. 
> 
> Next chapter we'll see a change of scenery again... and the return of awkward Newt for a smidge.  
> And I'm warning you: there's another smutty chapter coming up soon. I just couldn't stop myself *tihihi*


	25. Back to London

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favourite couple is going back to London, where Newt is having some kind of crisis and Tina has an interesting encounter.

They slept late into the first day of the New Year. Or at least Tina did... Newt had woken up at dawn, as was his usual habit, carefully left and reentered Tina's room and brought his suitcase with him. He'd made a quick round of his morning feedings and tending to his creatures before leaving the confines of his case again to rejoin a still sleeping Tina under the cozy blankets. 

He hadn't slept long since their night had ended quite late, but the few hours of sleep he'd had were decidedly better than the entire previous nights. Ever since they'd been... more intimate and he fell asleep with Tina wrapped in his arms, he had trouble getting a good nights rest while being alone in bed. Several times a night Newt woke up, confused about being alone and missing her presence. It was very curious. He actually would have believed things to be exactly the other way around: that he'd _not_ be able to sleep while someone else was sharing the bed with him. Tina really had the most interesting effects on him.

It was already close to noon when they were both awake again, Tina waking for the first time and Newt for the second that morning. They shared a small smile and a sweet good morning kiss.

 _This year does start quite well_ , Newt thought with a smile as he watched his fiancée leave the bed and vanish inside the small adjoining bath room.

They were not the only guests having slept late into the morning. The mood downstairs in the common room of the Three Broomsticks was a good one, though decidedly quieter and more hushed than usual... too many people nursing a slight headache after a long and merry night, it seemed. But there was tea and coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs and toast waiting for both of them and that really is all that is required from a breakfast.

"So, what are we going to do about your appointment at the Ministry?" Tina asked once her first cup of coffee was emptied. 

Newt thought about it for a moment. "Well, either I'll go down to London in the morning and return once I'm done there. Or we'll both go back to London. It really depends on whether you'd rather want to stay in Hogsmeade or London..."

Tina smiled at him. "Not that I didn't enjoy our stay here, but I think I'd rather be in London. I haven't seen that much of it yet, you know? And... it's not so bloody cold down there."

Newt chuckled at her choice of words. "Okay then. We'll leave today and go back to the Leaky Cauldron?" Tina nodded, sipping on her second cup. "Alright, I'll talk to the owner later about cutting our stay short."

It was late afternoon when they took one last walk around Hogsmeade village, taking in the cozy and festive atmosphere, before turning their backs in the Scottish Highlands and disapparating south.

They apparated into into the same old ground floor room of the Leaky Cauldron where they had arrived by Floo last week, just as another another witch was vanishing into the green flames. Newt immediatly went to find the landlord of the pub, one Thomas Whigby, and proceeded to have a long discussion concerning sleeping arrangements with him. 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Scamander," Whigby apologized for the umpteenth time and took another look inside the huge book. "We only have one room left available for the next two days at least... it's New Year's. There's lots of people from out of town come to London, for the Ministry's Ball and all that. It's the holiday season."

Newt nodded defeatedly. "Well, alright then. If there's nothing to be done, we'll take that one room you have left and try to make the best of it, I guess..."

Mr. Whigby smiled knowingly. "It's a double, sir. Should be no problem to accomodate both of you, I'd say." 

"Oh, that's... Right. Uhm," Newt spluttered, not really knowing what to say to that. Yes, he had shared a bed with Tina more than once now, but that was between just the two of them and not for other people to know. In fact he'd really prefer no one else knowing that at all, just the notion of the entailing gossip had him shuddern slightly. "Thank you," he said courtly.

Whigby nodded and signed them into the last available room at the Leaky Cauldron before handing him the set of keys. "I'll take it you still remember everything from last time?"

"Yes, yes. Breakfast is until 10 o'clock, lunch or supper not included with the room and the cleaning lady will only bother when you put the sign up... I've stayed here quite long enough to remember, Mr. Whigby," he repeated the instructions and grinned sheepishly.

"That you did. What was it, nine months?"

"Not... well, something like that, but with some absences to travel. Uhm, I should..." He waved his hand in the general direction of the common room and left the bar in search for Tina. Newt found her standing near the Muggle-side entrance talking to an elderly witch in an antiquated black dress and hat.

"I'm so glad to hear that Ilvermorny is a good school, too.... I've tried, you know, to talk them into enrolling little Elsie here at Hogwarts, but they just wouldn't hear of it." 

"Well, it would be quite a hassle getting the little girl from Maryland to Scotland," Tina replied slightly amused.

"Yes, you're right of course. But she could have stayed with her grandmama, you know? I do see her not nearly often enough." The witch eyed Newt curiously as he was standing somewhere off to the side and trying not to intrude on the conversation Tina had.

"Anyway," the elderly witch continued. "Thank you so much for letting me question you about that school over there. I just had to take the opportunity, you don't often meet a young witch from America in these parts."

"You're welcome," Tina answered. "Trust me, Ilvermorny is just as good as Hogwarts in regards to schooling."

The witch curiously looked at him again then suddely seemed to recognize him and made a connection. "Oh! Your that Goldstein girl, aren't you? The one engaged  to Newt Scamander."

Tina nodded awkwardly. "Oh. Yes, that would be me."

"It's so nice to meet you! And you too, Mr. Scamander!" she spoke over Tina's shoulder, who now turned around and looked at him with an embarrassed smile.

"Eh, hello," he greeted the woman in his usual awkward-around-strangers way and stepped up to stand next to Tina now that he'd been somewhat included in this talk.

"Well, I won't bother you any longer. Thank you again, Miss Goldstein. Have a nice stay here in London," she nodded at them with a smile and vanished through the door leading outside into the Muggle part of London.

"And that was...?" Newt asked.

"A Mrs. Bottch. Her daughter is married state-side and she wondered what kind of school her grandchild will be attending next year."

Newt grinned. "I'm surprised to hear you say that Hogwarts standards are up to Ilvermorny standards... when did that opinion change?"

She smirked. "It didn't. But I learned that it's not wise to insult Hogwarts in front of a British audience. Did you get us rooms here?"

He stopped his chuckling and turned serious again. "Ah, about that... There's a slight problem."

"I don't like the sound of that... Let me guess, they're completely booked? It's New Year's Day, of course they would be."

"No no, they've got room here," Newt stated quickly. He could see Tina slip into her problemsolver mode already and tried to stop that from happening. "But, uhm... just the one. A double room. So we'll have to share... highly improper as that may be."

Tina nodded and smiled. "Okay, I don't see a particular problem with that."

"You don't-. Okay." Newt shook his head in baffled amusement and held out one of the keys for her.

"Leeway and all that," Tina grinned and took the key from his hand, then marched over to the other side of the common room and up the two flights of rickety stairs. Newt quietly followed.

Once inside the room, _their room_ , Newt didn't quite know what to do with himself. There was a wardrobe to his left, a small desk and chair in the right window corner of the room. To his right a door let into a small bathroom, one of the newer additions to the rooms at the Cauldron. And then there was the huge double bed with its two bedside tables. He watched Tina plopping down on the bed and kicking off her shoes before letting her coat slide from her shoulders and pool around her. She seemed to feel comfortable in all the ways he did not. This was a very strange situation for him, actually sharing a room with someone. With Tina.

"So, uhm. Breakfast time is until 10 o'clock," he started awkwardly, still standing at the closed door and indecisive about what to do. "Eh... Lunch and dinner are not included, so we can go out and eat somewhere else if you like."

Tina watched him in amusement from her seat on the bed. "Anything else?" she grinned teasingly.

"The cleaning lady will only come in when you put the sign up on the door," he answered automatically but averted ihs eyes to the floor when he realised that she hadn't actually expected an answer but for him to actually enter the room properly.

Newt felt foolish for suddenly being this awkward around her. They'd shared a bed just last night, woken up together not six hours ago. But knowing there was no other room to retreat to (to keep up appearances) was... bewildering in a way. It was just Tina and him, in a single room, with a double bed.

"I, uhm... I should probably spend the night in my suitcase, leave the bed to you," he mumbled and looked up at her again.

But Tina only raised a questioning eyebrow and gave him a glance that told him exactly what she thought of that idea. She was not happy hearing it. There was disappointment there, and confusion.

"It's just... People will talk and I don't... like people thinking or talking negatively about you," he muttered meekly and averted his eyes to the ground again. "You know what that does to me."

Tina got up again and walked over to him. "You get into a very protective mood when certain lines are crossed," she answered in a soft voice and and cupped his face to tilt it up again, meeting her eyes and soft smile. "We're gonna share a double room, so people will assume anyway, darling. No matter if you're actually sleeping in the case or not. Gossip is what they do. I thought their judgement didn't bother you anymore?"

"Not when it's just about me. But where you're concerned, I just can't help it. And ever since the book... people are just so much more likely to talk now." Newt sighed in annoyance of himself. "I'm sorry for making this so awkward, love. I'm being foolish over this, aren't I?"

Tina smiled at him and stroked her thumb over his lips before placing a soft kiss on them. Newt immediately felt the tension that always came with being uncomfortable leave his body. She chuckled softly when his eyes opened again.

"You are. But I think I get it... you don't like the attention that comes with being in the public eye. And you're trying to keep that attention to a minimum by doing everything just right and the way it is expected here, even if... you'd rather do it differently."

Tina... she knew him too well. She was right of course, he was behaving differently here in England, where he knew how people reacted to even the smallest hint of scandal. He himself had never really been that interesting as dinner party gossip unless it was to confirm that yes, that strange Scamander boy was still gallivanting instead of settling on a career. But with his new-found (unsettling) fame and the announced engagement that was sure to change, if it hadn't already. And Tina would be part of it too, now.

Another kiss to his forehead snapped him out of his thoughts again. "Ah, there you are," she grinned. "It's your decision, Newt. If you'd rather sleep in the case tonight that's fine with me too. I'll be okay."

Newt swallowed and nodded. "Thank you." He'd hve until bedtime to decide, then. 

Tina took a step back from him again and made for a change of topic. "So, what are the options for dinner tonight?"

 

Newt changed into his pyjamas. He was in his own small bedroom down in the suitcase, still thinking about what to do concerning their sleeping arrangements.

They'd had a simple meal of Fish'n'Chips at a small place in Muggle London earlier, then continued their evening down here in the suitcase caring for his creatures with feeding and a stroking sessions where required. The issue hadn't come up again of course...  But Tina had said it was up to him, so the decision was his alone to make.

He knew that in a more private environment, he wouldn't even have to think abouut this... but this was a pub. A public house. With occupied rooms to both sides of theirs, as well as across the hallway, and people crossing in front of their door all the time. It just didn't feel... safe.

 _Wait, safe?_ No. It seemed that now his thoughts had turned into those of a timid creature... wanting something that was right before him but threatened by just the shadow of perceived danger. When had that happened? He really was foolish about this, wasn't he?

Newt shook his head and made a decision. He left the room, climbed up the narrow stars and opened his suitcase to the sight of Tina already settled inside the bed with her book. Smiled at him when he threw open the lid and paused, still only with his head and arm out of the case.

"So, Mr. Scamander," she grinned, "will it be your suitcase tonight or our room?"

 _Our room._ That wonderful wamth blossomed inside him again at hearing her say it. _Yours or ours_? Put like that the choice was rather clear really and easily made. There were only few things in which Newt wouldn't chose an 'ours' with Tina over anything 'his'.

He smiled shyly and climbed out the case completely, bent down to close the case securely and crawled under the blankets next to her. "Right here is perfect," he whispered.

They had been engaged for barely a month now and shared a bed for the night a total of four times since then. One of which entailed a little more than just sleeping. And two of the other nights had happened in similar environments... on the ship and last night at the Three Broomsticks. Nothing bad had come of that, so... they'd be fine.

Tina smiled and put her book away, extinguished the lights and moved a little closer to him. "Good night, then."

 

* * *

 

Newt got up very early the next morning trying not to wake Tina from her slumber as he untangled himself from her arms and the blankets. He placed a sweet kiss onto her forehead before he silently opened the suitcase and climbed down to get dressed. And take care of his creatures of course.

He knew that he had spend decidedly less time inside his case since he and Tina had come to England... some of his creatures had started to feel a little neglected recently, the Erumpent for one. And Dougal, too. So he'd allocated a bit more time for his creatures this morning.

He hadn't actually neglected his creatures, of course... but some of the more affectionate ones still had to cope with the fact that from now on Newt would divide his time threeways between research work, them and Tina. Those four months in New York really had spoilt them a bit in regards to the amount of time he'd spent doting on them...

Tina was up and dressed already when he came out of the case again and greeted him with a smile and a proper kiss. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he replied. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not properly, no. The delegation of eastern diplomats stomping down the hallway soon afterwards on the other hand..."

Newt chuckled. "Eastern diplomats?"

"They spoke something similar to Russian and were up way too early to be tourists. It's barely eight, yet."

They went downstairs for breakfast together and talked about their respective plans for the day. Tina wanted to go to Diagon Alley again since she hadn't had a chance to visit all the shops she would have liked the first time around. _More precisely, more time at Sugarplum's Sweet Shop_ , Newt thought with a grin.

Newt hoped to be finished at the Ministry by early afternoon at the latest, then he'd either spend more time with his creatures or take Tina on a tour of Muggle London if she was back from Diagon Alley already.

He'd had his proposals for the revisions all worked out, so his meeting at the Department for Magical Education really shouldn't take too long... a simple case of explanation and demonstration. Pickett had volunteered to be his creature for demonstration, so Newt would try and give them an example for a simple teaching unit on Bowtruckles the way he thought it should be taught. Then he'd give them a list of creatures that could be integrated into the curriculum in a similar way and hopefully be done with it.

 

Of course it hadn't been as easy as that. His demonstration unit had been appreciated, but there were great concerns about the suitability of some of his proposed creatures... Hippogriffs apparently were not deemed suitable to be shown to a class of third years, being considered too dangerous and volatile.

He had been back at the Cauldron by noon though, just as he'd hoped... but there was another meeting scheduled for the next day. He didn't look forward to that at all, sitting in a room with five other Officials and squabbling over unneccessary details such as proper security measures in case something went wrong with a creature during class. Seriously, if students or the teacher could ever manage to enrage a Puffskein they shouldn't be taking or teaching this class.

Feeling completely fed up already with the stuffy Important People at the Ministry, Newt made his way down into his suitcase, which he had left behind in the room he shared with Tina. There had been quite a struggle getting the case through the Ministry's security the first time around, he did not want to try a second time unless absolutely neccessary.

Once down in the shed, he'd immediately started to undo his tie and took off his tweed jacket and waitcoat, feeling just a little too restricted by them at the moment. Then went out the door and off to work with his creatures.

Pickett, for the lack of a front pocket (or any other pocket, really) had climed up into his hair again, keeping a high perch there while he made his rounds.

The Fwooper needed to have another Silencing Charm cast upon her to keep her song unheard. He'd rather appreciate not having everyone inside the case getting insane from listening to it. The Grindylows were unhappy with the plants growing in their tank, so he did a few renewals of those as well before heading on.

The Niffler... well, he seemed rather happy today. Tina had given him a newly minted and still shiny Bronze-Knut from her purse last night and it was now the most shiny thing in his current hoard, put in a place of honour where it would reflect the most light.

Miraculously, he had not tried to pilfer Tina's engagement ring yet... the locket was fair game still for the little pest, but the ring seemed out of bounds now. Newt had taken the creature aside the day before he proposed to Tina, showed him the ring (and kept in a protective field, just to make sure) and explained in a very stern voice that he was _not_ to take this from Tina once he had given it to her. And the Niffler had understood his intentions and kept his paws to himself. The most shiny possession in a Niffler's hoard was usually offered to and hopefully accepted by a potential mate... same situation really with Tina and his ring. 

An hour after entering the suitcase Newt felt so much more relaxed and content already. Dougal had accompanied him inside the shed where he was now going over the supplies in his numerous cabinets, taking stock and jotting down what needed to be replenished before he could go on another field trip again. The Demiguise loved to help with that kind of thing, putting things back where they belonged after Newt was done inspecting them and informing him when he'd accidentally skipped over one of the many drawers. Pickett was more of the opposite, he quite loved to make a mess of things that were neatly staked and counted and the two got into a little quarrel until Newt threatened to kick them both out.

Not long after that the Demiguise seemed to have a change of heart though and left Newt to himself again. And stragely, he'd taken the Pickett with him.

 

* * *

 

Tina had spend the morning at Diagon Alley and the surrounding wizarding area. There were a few shops she hadn't managed to take a look at the last time around, so they were on top of her list for today as she joined the hustle and bustle of the wizarding district of London.

She spent quite some time browsing through _The Second-Hand Bookshop_ which she had seen last week but skipped in favour of Sugarplum's. The selection on offer here was a bit more more varied and so much more interesting than what Flourish  & Blotts had on the shelves... very outdated scientific publications that had become rather amusing to read these modern days, old and battered textbooks for school usually filled with lots of scribbles, interesting medieval recipe collections, cheap romance novels and biographies of wizards and witches Tina had never even heard of before.... An old parchment text on the Different Uses of Newts in Potion Making had her in stitches, thinking about her man instead of the actual amphibian whenever the word 'newt' was used. Yes, Tina loved books and the entertainment they provided.

At _Sugarplum's Sweet Shop_ she got herself a delicious cauldron cake and took a very long look around the displays. The smell in here was even more appealing that that of an old but well-kept library... Tina may love books, but she also had a very strong sweet-tooth. Chocolates and crackers were the things that got her through the busiest days at the Auror Office, when there was absolutely no time to waste on a proper lunch break. And she lived for delicious desserts like Queenie's strudel.  

A cluttered place suitably named _Magical Junkshop_ held quite a few strange (but not always functioning) curiosities but not her interest for long. Instead she walked to the southside of Diagon Alley and into a shop she had almost but not quite entered last week: Ollivanders.

The green door between the two round display windows led her into a small cramped room that held a short wodden counter and a simple stool next to it. She took a curious look around and noticed that the walls in the back were lined with a number of small long boxes that had even smaller pieces of paper stuck to it.

Tina was greeted by a smiling young man, barely older than twenty, standing behind the counter and compairing two similar-looking kinds of wood under a magnifying glass.

"Good day, ma'am. Are you here to purchase a wand?"

"Sorry, no. I was just gonna take a look around... I've never seen a wandshop before, you know."

"You're American. How interesting!" He actually sounded like he meant it and stepped out from behind the counter and held out his hand in greeting. "I'm Garrick Ollivander. My father owns this shop, as did our family for the past... I don't even know how many generations. I'd like to make a guess and say you must be Porpentina Goldstein, soon to be Mrs. Scamander."

Tina frowned as she shook his hand. "Uhm yes, that's right. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Ollivander." How come everyone knew her these days? All there had been in that article was a name and origin. No picture, no description. And Newt wasn't even with her right now.

Ollivander chuckled and answered her unspoken questions. "There are not many Americans around these parts at times like this, and even less young witches from over the pond sporting an engagement ring without a wedding band. The article about Mr. Scamander wasn't printed that long ago, so it was a fair chance of guessing. I wasn't the first one to get it right, though, hm?"

"Yes, uhm... it's a little perplexing, being recognized." This must be how Newt felt whenever someone spotted him in the streets... only she hadn't done anything to deserve the attention.

The young man in front of her became a little hesitant as he made to ask his next question. "Say... may I ask to look at your wand, Miss Goldstein? I haven't been able to see one produced by American wandmakers before and I'd be very delighted to get the chance."

"Oh, uhm... sure, I guess." Tina took her wand from the secluded pocket in which she usually kept it and held it out for the young man to inspect. He looked at it excitedly before gingerly taking it from her hand to inspect it with an intently studious glance.

"Hm... Ash wood, not overly long, no mother-of-pearl inlays. It's made by Shikoba Wolfe, isn't it?" Tina nodded, astounded. "Then the core would be a tail-feather from a Thunderbird."

"How do you-?"

"I've grown up learning a lot about the art of wandmaking, Miss Goldstein. One of those things is to recognise the work of our colleagues even if we haven't seen it in person yet. Every wandmaker has certain preferences for materials and styles, so it's just a matter of reasoning to get it right."

He hands her back her wand with a grin. "A wand says a lot about its owner... According to wandlore, ash wood means you're quite a stubborn person, stubborn and courageous. Since you are a female Auror, I'd say that certainly must apply to you." Tina couldn't help a chuckle at this quirky man's assessment of her. "And your Transfiguration abilities are outstanding as well, I assume."

"Uh, I do have a thing for Charms and such..."

Ollivander nodded. "Yes, it's the Thundbird's tail feather that makes the wielder very adept at that."

"How does it work, exactly?" Tina asked. "Choosing a wand here, I mean. At Ilvermorny we're led into a room and told to pick one out, but that's not how it works here, is it?"

"Oh no... students purchase or get their wands before they go to Hogwarts. They come here some time between turning eleven and getting their acceptance letter for Hogwarts, we'll offer them a variety of wands that seem to be best fitted to the young wizard and the wand will tell us when the right match is found." Tina frowned. This man talked about wands as if they were alive in a way.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Goldstein, not the other way around. I'm sure you picked your wand at Ilvermorny because something in you felt drawn to it in a way."

Well, that... sounded about right. She had looked at a different sort of wand with elegant carvings and inlays, but something had drawn her to the other side of the room where she had instinctively picked up the wand she still carried today.

She nodded. "I think so, yes."

"Well, that was your wand choosing its witch. And it's quite a good combination of materials, too. I've seen my father having to work on so much worse."

Tina frowned again. "Eh, thanks I guess?"

Ollivander chuckled. "Some woods and cores don't seem to get on very well, Miss Goldstein, but if a customer demands to have a wand made from certain materials, who are we to say no? I'm trying to have a further look into that issue, though, try to make even better wands by pairing certain materials..."

Just then a father and his son entered the wand shop, both with flaming red hair and quite a number of freckles on their faces. "Ah, Garrick! Is your father in? It's time for little Septimus here to get his first wand."

"Good day, Mr. Weasley! My father is out at the moment, but I'll be with you just in a moment!"

 

* * *

 

Tina returned from Diagon Alley late in the afternoon and walked up to their room at the Leaky Cauldron to dispose of the few purchases she had made. A wand was not among them, obviously, but the red-haired Mr. Weasley was so kind to let her sit in and watch how acquiring a wand worked 'this side of the pond'. A wand for Septimus was soon found, since apparrently certain characteristics lay in their family and the boy had six older brothers who had already purchased their wands at Ollivanders before him... Tina only had to duck from an exploding decorations twice before the right match was made. 

She saw the teal blue coat hanging over the back of the chair as soon as she opened the door, and the closed suitcase that was placed on the gound next to the bed rather than on top of it.

Newt was back from the Ministry. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this was actually supposed to go a little bit differently... but instead it ended up as kind of lead-in to the next (smutty) chapter, which will basically continue where we left today. I don't know. Oops? :D 
> 
> **Again, be warned:** Next chapter will be an explicit one. I just couldn't stop myself.  
>  Chapter 27 will be the next that is safe to read for Teen and Up audiences or so...
> 
> On another note: Septimus Weasley, who got his first wand in this chapter, will quite a few years down the line be father to Arthur Weasley. At least the name of Ron's grandpa is canon, I don't know anything about his date of birth... but he could in theory have been eleven in 1928 to be a father by 1950.


	26. The Privacy of a Locked Case (Explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sight of a dishevelled Newt reminds Tina of her recent cravings... leading to a long afternoon spent in the privacy of a locked suicase. 
> 
> This is another piece of smut contributing nothing much to the general plot. Don't like, don't read. I just couldn't help myself.  
> The next chapter will be a 'normal' one again ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** This chapter contains quite a bit of Explicit content. If you don't like anything smutty, this one is not for you. Sorry.

Tina stepped into the open lid of the suitcase and climbed down the narrow ladder that led into Newt's chaotic workspace, where the man himself was currently busy cataloguing his potions and ingredients.

"Tina, hello!" he greeted her with a smile after taking a quill out of his mouth. Thankfully it wasn't his wand this time around.

"Hello yourself," Tina smirked as she took in his appearance. Newt looked rather dishevelled as he stood there next to his workbench. No jacket or waistcoat, suspenders hanging off to his sides, shirt completely untucked from his trousers and cuffs loose. The top buttons of his shirt opened to expose half of his chest and the dark bowtie undone but still hanging loosely from his collar. His hair was quite a mess, too. He looked quite... _enticing_.

"Oh, uhm." Newt seemed to realise the state he was in and moved to hastily rebutton his shirt properly.

Tina chuckled softly and moved forward to plant a kiss him. "Don't mind me," she whispered with a smile and tucked the loose thistle bow tie from his collar so he at least couldn't do that up anymore.

"I can't help but mind you when your in the same room as me," he replied with a soft smile, all decently buttoned up now.

"Bad day at the office?" Tina joked. Newt had likely vanished right inside his suitcase after returning from his meeting with the people from Magical Education, and apparrently proceeded to throw off his clothing once there... his jacket and waistcoar were messily thrown over a chair in the corner. Tina's mind very unhelpfully provided some imagery for that scene.

Newt shook his head. "No, just... the usual. They expect me back tomorrow, though. I was... I had a mind to be presentable again by the time you were back, but I must have forgotten the time."

She smiled. "I don't mind you getting a little more casual down here, Newt. It's kind of your home, after all. Where else would you be able to let loose a little?"

He chuckled and shook his head again. "I've been raised to at least try and be presentable around a lady... or people in general. Sense of decency and all that."

"Even if you've shared a bed with said lady for the past two nights?" Tina asked teasingy.

Newt blushed a little and mumbled awkwardkly. "Well... there's no rules to say I shouldn't."

Tina couldn't help a little laugh. She loved this awkward man, who still had trouble finding his way around other people and their social norms. He either blatantly ignored them or stuck to them so rigidly for the sake of keeping up the proper appearances.  It was quite endearing at times, even though lately his efforts of maintaining at least some kind of propriety had left her a little... wanting.

Seing him like this she had a mind to try and make him let loose just a little bit more today. She moved in to kiss him again, this time more passionate and Newt was very happy to reciprocate. He didn't mind one bit when Tina slowly walked him backwards, chuckled softly into their kiss when his back hit the door that led out of the shed. It soon turned into a pleased groan though as Tina carded a hand through his tousled hair and began to mouth at his neck. His slight stubble felt quite good against her own skin and a pleasant kind of heat was beginning to pool low inside her. _Maybe..._ Maybe down here he would be willing to do a bit more than just kissing.

"Personally, I really wouldn't mind if that shirt were gone altogether," Tina, feeling bold, whispered against his skin.

Newt became very still for a moment before uncertainly moving his hands from her back to unhook the topmost button of his shirt again. She caught his hands before they moved to the next, though. Given that pause and his overeagerness to see her happy, she felt the need to clarify. "Only if you want that too, Newt."

"Uhm." Newt looked uncertain, watching her intently as if to gauge her intentions. Taking off his shirt was something he seemed to be comfortable with around her, but that action could lead to other things now... and Tina realised that he hesitated because he had no idea what ' _that'_ was supposed to entail just now. It was endearing how shy he still got whenever she mentioned or implied something of the more physical variety. Despite what he did for her just a few nights ago, what they did together.

It had felt so good, being that close to him, being touched like that... and not being left alone again to do the job herself after another intense session of kissing and necking. But they hadn't done anything more along those lines yet, even though they had shared a bed for the past two nights and spend quite a bit of time kissing in it. And Tina... well, she _wanted_.

She looked at him with a hopeful smile and confided in the hesitant man in front of her. "Newt... it's okay if you don't want to, but I'd really.... I'd really like to feel you touch me again. And... touch you too, you'd like."

His eyes widened for a moment, he swallowed heavily and then nodded. "Yes, I'd... that'd be... yes. Yes." The last word was spoken very firmly and sure, and she didn't doubt his willingness this time.

With a smile Tina plucked his hands from where they still resting againt his collarbones and put them over her shoulders in an embrace before she continued what Newt had started. He watched her hands work, resting his head against hers as he did so, looking down to see button after small button unhooked to reveal more of his freckled skin.

Tina let her hands glide over his exposed chest, feeling his warm skin and subtly toned muscles underneath them. He shivered softly when she let a single finger stroke over his hardening nipple. Then tried the same again on the other side, but another slight shiver was all the reaction she got out of him with it.

"I'm not like you," Newt whispered with a chuckle, "it feels nice but not... not like that."

"Oh, okay." She hadn't even considered the possibility that it would be different for Newt than... _No, you will_ not _think of him._

Her hands wandered just a little further down and to his stomach, where she could feel his muscles tense slightly underneath her touch. She dipped a single finger underneath the fabric of his trousers and skimmed it over and around his navel. He seemed to like this just a little bit more, judging by the pleasant shudder going through him. It was so exciting to have him before her like this, open for her explorations.

He helped her getting the shirt off when she finally pushed it over his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground where he stood still supported against the wooden door. Tina ravished him with another kiss and let her hands wander freely over his exposed skin, complying to the urge to just _touch_ him.

"M-maybe we should... take this somewhere else to continue?" Newt voiced hesitantly when they came up for air again, he smiled shyly at her and nodded in the direction of his bedroom in indication.

Tina nodded. They were in private down here, no other people sharing a wall with their room in a crowded London pub or walking by their door. She took his hand and led the way to the backroom as Newt cast another quick Locking Charm onto the lid of the suitcase.

"Just to make sure we'll stay alone," he whispered with a smile. Tina approved.

They entered Newt's sparse bedroom and Tina warily eyed the small single bed in it before casting an Enlargement Charm on it.

"Just to make sure we're both gonna fit in there," she explained to a chuckling Newt. He now stood right behind her and wrapped his arms around her body, placing sweet little kisses around her neck.

"May I undress you, too?" he asked and gently traced a hand over the fabric of her blouse where it was tucked into the waistband of her trousers.

Tina kicked off her shoes before answering the obvious with a grin. "Of course you may."

He took his hands from her waist and moved them up to her neck where he gathered her locket and put it onto the chest of drawers behind him, right next to the picture frame with his sketch of her. He kissed the back of her neck in a way that had her shudder, then moved around to face her again before finally untucking her white silk blouse and pulling it slowly up and off her body.

Tina wore cotton step in drawers underneath. Not the finest piece of underwear she owned, but it was winter and she hadn't dressed this morning with a mind of being undressed in this fashion. Newt didn't seem to mind her plain and drab undergarment though as his hand went to finger one of the straps over her shoulders before slowly moving it over her upper body and down to her waist again

"T-these too?" he asked hesitantly when his hands had reached the fabric of her trousers. Tina nodded and smiled at him, a gesture he returned with his own unassertive smile.

His fingers fumbled with the button fastenings for a bit before they were unhooked. Newt slowly pushed them down over the curve of her hips and not long after Tina's widecut trousers were falling from her legs to pile at her feet. She stepped out of them quickly and stood before him now in nothing but her plain one-piece underwear. She felt a blush rising hot in her cheeks at the realisation.

Newt grinned at her colouring before cupping her face in both his hands to distract her with a kiss. And he was oh so good at that, curling his tongue just like this and tilting her head just like that. She would never regret showing him just how to undo her like that. Her hand still managed to wander lower though, moving down to his own trousers and undoing the topmost button. She wanted them off but realised that he was still wearing his boots. And that just wouldn't do.

She broke their kiss slowly and with a grin, then sank down onto her knees before him while maintaining eye contact.

"Tina, what-?" Newt stared at her in shock for a moment before moving to help her efforts when he realised what was going on. They both chuckled.

Offending footwear removed, Newt pulled her over to the bed and they both sank down in a kneeling position, Tina dressed in nothing but her underwear and Newt still in his half opened trousers.

He kissed her more hungrily now, licking, sucking and nipping at her mouth, neck, shoulders, skin. Tina couldn't contain a moan at the intensity of it. _So good. And s_ he continued undoing his trousers. Her hand moved quickly over the buttons, feeling him strain against the fabric as her hand accidentally brushed over him. Newt stopped mid-kiss to let out an approving gasp... and Tina purposely continued touching him through the fabric with a smirk.

He was hard and hot under her hand as it skimmed up and down his form in a slightly teasing way. Just enough to feel good for him, but not the kind of touch he probably wanted and needed. Newt seemed to enjoy it very much though, breathing hard and gasping with his head resting on her shoulder as she touched him like this for the first him.

"Can I take these off?" Tina whispered, clutching the band of his opened trousers. He nodded, unable to form words just now. Tina smiled.

"All of it?" she continued, taking hold of the fabric underneath as well. He nodded again without hesitation, and Tina worked both, his trousers and underwear, from his hips and legs with a bit of his help.

Newt lay down before her now, completely naked and with a blush on his face that was running down his neck and chest as well. He looked at her with a mixture of shyness and lust, but didn't move to cover himself from her gaze.

He was... very appealing to look at. Subtly toned muscles under warm skin, freckled and scarred and covered in a smattering in light coppery hair. His thighs and legs had their fair share of scarring as well, though none as obvious or eye-catching as the one on his side. That one ended just past his hip bone, she now saw.

Her eyes followed the trail of equally coppery, though more coarse hair that started to form just below his navel and led downwards to where his still stiff member protruded proudly and waiting from a nest of short curly hair. He truly was freckled _everywhere,_ Tina noticed with a grin.

Newt cleared his throat, probably starting to feel a little uncomfortable under her attentive stare. She shifted to kneel between his legs, straddling one of his thighs as she did so, and leaned over him, bracing herself on a palms next to his head to kiss this handsome man some more. His hands flew to her waist as soon as their lips touched again, keeping her close as their tongues danced together in the most beautiful way.

"Tina," Newt sighed against her lips, when they broke apart again. "Could... could you please touch me again? Please?" he asked, still a little breathless.

Tina looked down at him and saw the want, the growing need in his eyes, captivating green almost completely drowned out by his dark pupils. It was the same kind of gaze she had seen the last time, kneeling over him after his hands had worked their magic on her (not literally, though). She smiled and slid her hand down his body again, skimming over his chest and navel until it found its destination. There was no teasing touches this time, though, she had a feeling that it wouldn't do him good. Instead her hand carefully wrapped around his hard member and Newt groaned at the gentle touch of skin on skin. Their eye contact broke as his eyes closed before her with the intense feeling of being touched this intimately. It was so easy to forget that this was a completely new experience for him.

She stroked up and down a little, feeling him heavy in her hand. He was very well-proportioned in size, neither overly large or thick nor the opposite. A perfect match of wand and wizard, so to speak. Tina was already looking forward to the day she would experience what kind of magic he could perform with it. _Not yet, though._

She set a rhythm, moving up and down with her thumb stroking over the more sensitive head every now and the, slow an light as to not overwhelm him yet. And Newt seemed to enjoy her touch immensely, but it was an uncomfortable position for her to be in, still bracing herself over him as she was. She wouldn't be able to keep this up for long.

"Just a moment," she whispered and let go of him, then carefully shifted to lie next to him on her side. "Can you turn on your side, lie with your back against me?"

"O-okay," Newt managed to say and moved into the requested position as fast as he could. Tina chuckled at his eagerness and placed her arm down over his side, resuming her previous hold on him. It was a much more natural angle this way, caressing and stroking his shaft in her hand. Velvety soft skin over rigid stone and dripping slightly from the engorged head already.

Newt could feel it too, the difference in her touch and movements, the closeness that came with this change of position. He let his head fall back against her with eyes closed and a blissful expression on his face and she began to lavish the skin on offer right before her with kisses. A shoulder, the neck, his ear... He approved wholeheartedly judging by the gasps and groans that escaped him.

Soon she could feel him tremble against her, tremble in need for something more than her current ministrations. Something that only he could tell her.

"Show me, darling. Show me what you need?" Tina whispered against his shoulder and waited for Newt to react. He nodded and then moved a hand over her own to reposition it on him, starting her strokes quite a bit lower and hold him just a bit tighter. "L-like this," he whispered as they moved their hands together for a bit, barely faster than before but with a little twist to it. His green-black eyes were watching her intently as she learned this better way to stroke him.

He placed his hand back onto her hip again, bunching the fabric of her drawers in a fist as his pleasure started to build up again. He moaned and gasped more often now, eyes falling shut on their own volition. He was clearly enjoying this touch in a way that would hopefully end very pleasurably for him.

Tina went to kiss along the line of his shoulder again and up his neck until she reached his ear, knowing he would enjoy this as well. It didn't take long for him to turn his head away from her though, hiding his face in one of the pillows underneath him as he started to shudder with the tremors that usually anounced an impending climax.

Soon his muscles tensed. His hand was gripping her hip just a bit tighter and his body curled in on itself just slightly. A low moan escaped him as he trembled under her continued strokes. Then he forcefully thrusted his hips a few times before he stilled completely and spilled over and into her hand with a sob and a string of loud moans escaping into the pillow he'd buried his face in.

Tina continued to stroke him through it, milking him until the last wave of shuddering pleasure had passed and left him too sensitive to her touch.

Newt was wrapped in her arms, face still hidden in the pillow and breathing heavily. She cleaned her hand from the milky white fluid of his release on the sheets before gently continuing to caress his hip and thigh in a gentle soothing motion, placing a few kisses to his neck and the back of his shoulder as he slowly came back to himself after the tumble he had just taken.

When Newt finally rolled over onto back, his eyes were red and wet with tears.

"Hey, are you alright?" Tina asked with concern. She didn't hurt him, did she? Not all of the sounds he had emitted there at the end did sound like pure pleasure, but her (limited) experience told her that was... normal. Wasn't it?

"Yes," he answered with a smile and hastily wiped at his eyes. "Just... Yes." He chuckled at his inability to properly speak and took a moment to form a coherent sentence for her. "That was... just very... overwhelming... in a good way."

Tina smiled relieved and kissed his face where the tear tracks were still visible. He threaded his hand into her hair and cradled the back of her head. "I love you, Tina," he whispered against her. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

She smiled and pecked his lips. "And I don't know what I did to deserve you... Let's agree that we're both just very lucky people."

Newt nodded and grinned in a rather satisfied manner. She kissed him once more before he moved to find his wand somewhere on the ground and used magic to clean them of his cooling and sticky release. Then he pulled Tina in for another kiss, this one deep and loving and absolutely unhurried.

At some point they changed positions as Newt rolled over and pushed Tina onto her back, still locked in their kiss though with more intent behind it now. His hand glided over her still dressed body, feeling her breasts and peaked nipples beneath the fabric, squeezing the dip of her waist. The pleasant heat inside Tina had been simmering lowly for a while as she touched and pleasured him, but it was beginning to stir again when his hands trailed along her body.

"Tina, would you still like me to... pleasure you?" Newt asked in a quite sensuous voice, green-black eyes catching hers.

Tina sighed breathlessly and nodded. Yes, she wanted that very much. He had no idea just how much...

"Then should I take this off, too?" he asked teasingly stroking over her underwear again, the last piece of fabric that still covered her.

"Yes," Tina chuckled. She was beginning to feel a little impatient at the leisurely pace he was setting, wanting to feel him explore her again in whatever way he chose to. It had been such an exquisit sensation to feel his hands on her, broad and callous but gentle and sensual in their touch. She wanted more of it.

Newt pulled her up with him into a sitting position and frowned at the garment for a moment before he simply tucked the straps down from her shoulders, exposing her upper body to him as the fabric pooled around her hips.

His wonderful hands were on her now, caressing her naked skin as his lips attached to her neck again in an onslaught of sensations. She was clinging to his shoulders by the end of it, slightly panting and not entirely able to think straight anymore.

"Lie back, please?" he requested softly and maneuvered her hands from his back when they didn't make any attempt to let go of him.

Tina reclined back onto the bed alone and lifted her hips when Newt made to pull the lst fabric down and off her body. She started to feel a little self-conscious now, being completely bare before him for the first time. She thought to cover herself up with her hands, but Newt looked at her naked form with such admiring eyes, taking in every newly revealed detail of her body with marvel, that she couldn't make herself do so.

"You're so beautiful, Tina," he whispered with awe and reverently traced a gentle hand up her leg and to her waist, following the same path with his lips not long after. He took his time exploring her body in the soft artificial daylight coming in through the window, touching and kissing every part of her. Her ankles, the hollow of her knee, all the way up her thigh to her hip bone. He diped his tongue into her navel, left a trail of wet kisses on her stomach and lavished the most intense touches and kisses on her already sensitive breasts. She was so aroused by his attentions that it probably wouldn't need much for her to tumble over the edge at any given moment. And still, Newt took his time in a way he hadn't dared the last time, leaving her wanting and waiting with the best of intentions.

When he finally moved his hands to where she wanted to feel him the most, she sobbed in relief. He caressed the sweet valley hidden between her legs gently but still explorative, then filled her with slick fingers and brought her to the most wonderful completion with an adoring grin on his face. It was the last thing she saw before she was drowned in waves of intense pleasure.

 

* * *

 

"You look so lovely when you're... lost in pleasure like that," Newt mumbled some time afterwards. He had found a comfortable position for himself lying on his stomach, head resting on his crossed arms and turned towards her with a smile. It was slowly getting dark inside the suitcase by now and he had lighted a candle for them not long ago.

"Hmm... I'd love to return that compliment," Tina replied, lying on her side next to him and admiring the expanse of his back, "but you didn't let me see you, darling."

He chuckled. "Sorry, I didn't actually mean to... That just... happened." He blushed a little. "I didn't even realize there were tears until you asked me if I was alright."

"But..." she started hesitantly, "what I did, the way I touched you, it wasn't too much or... unpleasant for you, was it?"

He shook his head with a smile. "No, love. You... That was... It..." He paused for a moment and chuckled in slight embarrassment at his inability to find words. Then he turned an interesting shade of crimson before continuing in a low voice. "I... didn't know it could feel like that, so... intense. It never did before. Uhm... b-by myself."

Tina nodded in comprehension, knowing that it indeed felt very different with someone else doing the touching. She couldn't keep herself from grinning when his little confession sank in. "You too, hm?" she asked teasingly.

Newt looked at her in confusion. "Eh, I don't think I understand?"

Now it was Tina's turn to blush just a little. "Well, when we parted for the night after kissing each other senseless for a while, I'd usually..." she wriggled her eyebrows suggestively, not wanting to spell it out completely for him.

His eyes grew large when he understood her meaning. "Oh!" He blushed an even deeper shade of crimson as he cleared his throat and hesitantly nodded to answer her question. She had probably just put a few more images of the naughty variety into his head...

Tina giggled and continued for good measure. "It was either that or a Sleeping Draught, you know? That's what you do to me, Newt Scamander."

"I'm sorry for teasing you so," he replied looking slightly amused, then continued more tentatively. "We, uhm... we could... possibly... do this, uh... more? Just... every now and then... maybe. If you'd like?" It was a very bold thing to suggest for him, and he knew it.

So did Tina, she smiled at him and nodded. "Yes, I think I'd like that... every now and then." She could see it leave his body again, the tension that had started growing in anticipation of her answer. As if she would ever say no. She had practically begged for him to touch her not too long ago.

"Okay," he whispered with a tender smile. "Every now and then."

She reached out and played with a few strands of his hair, carding through the mop on his head and twirling a few of the curls around a finger. It wasn't quite red or copper in colour, but not exactly blond or brown either... more of a darkish strawberry blond. His hair colour honestly defied all attempts at definition.

Newt had closed his eyes and hummed in appreciation. He really liked to have his head stroked and Tina found that incredibly endearing at times like these... when they were lying comfortably together to enjoy each others company afterwards.

She remembered that this was something new for him as well, not just the more sexual aspect but regular company in form of a person. He'd spent quite a long time all by himself before they'd stumbled into each other's lives... even more so then she did, for Tina always had Queenie by her side.

A memory came to her as she was lost in her mind, something she'd meant to ask him about since Theseus had unexpectedly showed up to apologize three nights ago.

"Newt?"

"Hm?"

She looked at him now, mirroring his postion with her head resting on her crossed arms. "I've been wondering about something... " He opened his eyes again and returned her gaze steadily, waiting for her to continue. "All those years back, when you and your brother had that talk about dreams for the future... Can I ask what it was that you told him?"

"Of course you can," he replied with a smile, then thought for a moment. "Uhm, I told him mostly about my plans for magizoology... that I wanted to help creatures, safe them, study them. That sort of thing. I remember that he did not mock me for it back then, but then again... it wasn't the brightest of situations either."

"Nothing else?" Tina inquired after a pause.

He smiled at her a little awkwardly before turning his head to look straight ahead and somewhere off into the room. "I also expressed hopes that... that I'd  find a kindred spirit. Someone who would like to share in all that with me." He paused for a moment. "Thes thought that to mean a girl to marry, of course... but really, just an understanding friend would have been... that would have been enough."

Tina closely looked at the man lying next to her and how he had averted his eyes again as he spoke of his hopes and dreams from ten years ago. The tips of his ears had turned slightly pink and he did his best not to look too uncomfortable at this confession. Newt had just admitted to wishing for a companion... and she knew it had taken him almost a decade to find that. A long and lonely ten years.

"You did find me," she said and covered his hand with her own. "And I'm not going anywhere unless you're going, too."

Newt chuckled and turned his head to rest his green eyes on her with a smirk. "I'd like to see you try and explain that to Mr. Graves when he sends you up to Canada again, or anywhere else, really."

Tina chuckled at the thought, her colleagues would certainly not be happy about that. They had even asked Newt not to come by the Auror Offices anymore, since he apparently drew too much of her attention away from actual work. But that was not what she had wanted to say.

"You know what I mean, Newt."

"Yes, I think I do." His lips stretched into a soft smile. "Thank you for trying to arrest me?"

Tina grinned. "You're welcome, darling." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this all started with a certain image I found on several tumblr blogs... I present to you Newt Scamander as Tina walks in on him at the beginning of the chapter:  
>   
> There's really nothing indecent about this pic on it's own but my imagination just took it and gladly ran over into the smut corner of my mind... resulting in this little something. I'm not even sorry.
> 
> Somehow I'm equally glad and unhappy about the fact that the actual Newt Scamander shirtless scenes were cut out of the movie... I have small hopes for the DVD extras, though :D  
> (By the way, did anyone else notice how Newt seemed to get undressed and then magically redressed again for no apparrent reason at the beginning of the suitcase scene with Jacob? You could pinpoint exactly where _that_ scene was supposed to go *hrhr*)


	27. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair returns to New York where Queenie and Teenie reunite. Newt plans something to keep busy.

"Teenie!" An excited Queenie Goldstein was waiting for their arrival at the docks on Ellis Island, jumping up and down to look over the heads of the other waiting people and running over as soon as she could spot them.

"Queenie." The two sisters clutched at each other in a tight welcoming hug before the blonde let go of Tina and moved to hug Newt as well. Both women were smiling brightly at being reunited.

"Welcome back, you two! How was the trip?"

"Well, the passage back was not as comfortable as it could have been," Newt stated and grimaced at the thought of the past days out on a stormy sea. He left Tina to tell the rest of it, she was the one with the many new impressions after all.

They walked down a few streets to find a secluded area to disapparate from, Newt happily trailing behind the two talking sisters. He was glad to be back in the anonymity of New York City, if he was being honest. It would be another two weeks until his book got published here in North America, and hopefully it would not make such huge (uncomfortable) waves. Americans didn't like magical creatures for completely different reasons than his fellow wizards in Britain disliked them: here they posed a threat to the secrecy and segregation of Muggle and Magical Worlds and were not just seen as pests or inconveniences.

They apparated directly into the Goldstein flat, where a grinning Jacob Kowalski was waiting for them.

"You're back, guys!" he grinned and moved to wrap Newt in an awkward hug, then Tina. "How was England?"

"It was okay," Newt replied, at the same time as Tina exclaimed "It was wonderful!" Warmth blossomed in his chest at hearing those words and he grinned at her.

"Okay then, spill! What did ya do? What did ya see? Who did ya meet?" Jacob seemed overly excited to hear about their time away.

"Calm down, honey," Queenie giggled. "Let's get Tina a proper coffee first. She missed a good brew."

Newt frowned at his fiancée. "But... there was coffee in England, lots of it."

She chuckled. "Yes, and there's lots of tea in New York. It's not the same though, is it?"

Right. _She might have a point there_ , he conceded. Queenie returned with three cups of frewly brewed coffee and a cup of not too bad tea for for Newt, as well as a large plate full of cookies.

"Now, tell us everything!" she demanded sith a grin.

They talked the entire afternoon and well into the evening, retelling their... well, not exactly adventures. Jacob was quite boggled by the notion of even more magical places existing then what he'd seen here in New York, Queenie was gasping and giggling every now and then at seeing something or other in Tina's mind. At some point she turned towards Newt and smirked. _Oh no._ She had probably just picked up on some of the recent developments between Tina and himself, if that smile was anything to go by. Thankfully she let that topic slide, though.

Tina had brought them both presents from Diagon Alley: a pocket watch for Jacob and a bedazzled purse for her sister. Apparently they were belated presents for Christmas (in Jacob's case) and Chanukah (in Queenie's case) and Newt felt bad for not having thought to bring gifts himself... In fact, he hadn't even thought of getting a gift for Tina, knowing she and her sister didn't actually celebrate Christmas. Tina didn't seem to mind it, though. And Newt still had a lot of things to learn... 

"So, do you have any plans for the wedding yet?" Queeny asked once Tina ran out of exciting things to tell.

"Uhm.. we've been thinking May," she replied with a chuckle. "But that's about it so far. We're both not into huge events, so there won't really be that much planning neccessary. Just a simple, small affair."

Newt agreed. Just family and the closest friends, nothing more. The exact opposite of his brother's wedding. More than half of the English wizarding community had been invited to that event and it had been dreadfully crowded in the garden behind the Manor... definitely nothing like that for himself.

Queenie giggled, probably having heard his thoughts, than suddenly turned sad. "Jacob won't be able to be there, though."

"Why not?" Newt asked without thinking, but then it hit him again. Jacob was still a Muggle. "Oh, right. There has to be MACUSA Official to perform the ceremony..." His face fell.

"It's okay," Jacob said, for some reason chuckling.

"No, it's really not. Your one of my very few friends, Jacob. There has to be a way for you to be there as well." Maybe they really should take this to England instead of marrying here in New York... that alone would be a good enough reason.

"Let's not worry about that now, okay," Queenie said airily. "It's still five months to come up with something."

 

* * *

 

"Well, good night then," Newt spoke a little awkwardly to the two sisters as he stood in front of his open suitcase, ready to climb down and sleep in his bed down there. Alone.

Tina chuckled and went over to him for a rather chaste kiss. "You didn't think I'd let you go down there without a proper good night kiss, did you?" she whispered and smiled as Newt blushed. They hadn't actually kissed deliberately in front of an audience yet... apart from that somewhat forced moment under the mistletoe, of course.

She could hear Queenie giggle somewhere in the background. "Good night, Mr. Scamander!" she said in a singsong voice and left the two alone in the living room.

"Don't worry... it takes a lot more than a kiss in front of her for Queenie to think us improper."

Newt cleared his throat. "Duly noted." Then he kissed her again with a little more feeling and a content smile afterwards. "I'll see you in the morning, love."

"Good night, darling." She only turned around and headed into the bedroom she shared with her sister when Newt had closed the lit of his suitcase over him, smiling sheepishly. He had thought it best to leave the two sisters to themselves tonight, so they could properly catch up on the weeks they'd been apart. It was a good thing, too... there were some matters you just didn't discuss in front of your fiancée.

"You two are so sickeningly sweet," Queenie giggled as she entered the room.

"Really?" Tina spoke with a raised eyebrow.  "Do I need to remind you of how all over each other you and Jacob were and still are?"

Queenie only continued giggling. "So... he's actually rich, huh?"

"Queenie!" Tina felt a little embarrassed but admitted to it. "He's... from a well-off family, yes."

"And he didn't even tell you before you got there, tss. But oh, I can't believe that brother of his!"

Queenie had seen most of it in her mind of course. "Yeah, neither could I. I'd have hexed Theseus into oblivion if Newt hadn't reacted first." And that strange apology a few days later hadn't really soothed her hurt just yet, no matter what reasons he had given for his behaviour.

Queenie looked at her with a frown as she read Tina's memories of that night at dinner. Her eyes widened. "Wandless magic? Teenie, I didn't know he was that powerful."

"Uh huh. I have no idea where that came from either. He still keeps using his wand all the time, so maybe it was a fluke? But he isn't particularly proud of that night, so I haven't dared to ask yet." She remembered Newt afterwards, a little shaken but still upset and silently raging against his brother until he'd literally walked it off. And then he'd hidden away in his suitcase for hours doing Mercy knew what.

"What's wrong, Teenie?"

Tina watched her sister, she must have picked up on those confusing memories. "Newt's not... happy that happened," she explained. "In fact, he's afraid that he might lash out like that again, especially at me. He said it felt like something inside him just took over for a bit." Tina really wasn't worried about it, though. Even then Newt had still been himself, only in a very defensive and protective mood. But still the non-agressive caring wizard she knew.

Queenie bit her lip before she continued. "You know, he feels so very deeply for you that sometimes he doesn't know what to do with himself because of it. And all the rules of 'proper behaviour' are really not helping matters either."

Tina frowned. "What do you mean?"

Queenie sighed. "Newt's not one for expressing his feelings in words but more often in action. He may say 'I love you' but he's also showing it in everything he does with, for or around you. I believe that when he said 'something was taking over' that night it was exactly that instinct, you know? Action instead of words, forcing his brother to shut up and listen when he did not do so on his own. But that doesn't always work in favour for him... social rules tell him there are things he just can't or shouldn't do, so he does his best not to."

Tina thought on that for a moment. There had been instances when this seemed to hold true. When certain actions were aborted and replaced with an awkward smile or hesitant words. And the way he tucked her hair behind her ear, even if there was no loose strand, definitely had a meaning of strong affection to it, expressed long before he dared to say it. And he was definitely more a man of action than many words when they'd... gotten a bit more intimate lately.

"Ah, he doesn't have to put _that_ in words anymore I see," her sister snickered.

"Queenie!" Why did she have to think about that again? Once over coffee had been bad enough.

"I'm just saying, Teen. He loves you very much, everything about you. You don't see what's in his mind all the time, the things he wants to do but feels he can't. Sometimes it's distressing. "

"What, he's thinking about... _that_ all the time?" Tina didn't think it very likely, not with Newt... But then again, her legilimens sister would surely know the truth?

"No, not that, Teenie." She thought for a moment. "There've been... so many moments when he was simply happy being around you, thought you the most wonderful person out there, when he's feeling in any way emotional about you. But instead of saying it, his first instinct is some kind of action. He wants to kiss you or pull you close, sometimes just hold your hand for a connection. But that's not always considered proper behaviour, you know? So he's kinda... trying to put a stopper on that, and get better with words instead." She paused for another moment, then continued with a broad smile. "It's really very sweet, what's on his mind. It's you, all the time. There's... this outer layer of normal everyday thoughts, those that are in the moment and easily forgotten again, wrapped around a core of recent and older memories. And his thoughts and feelings of you are just... everywhere woven in there. Even in his older memories from before you met, there's a hint of something Tina-related to be found. It's... wonderfully strange."

Tina didn't know what to say. Not to Queenie's description of Newt's mind nor to the fact that he was actively trying to... not be himself, in a way. It was like the situation in London all over again, only much worse. Why would he do that?

Queenie sighed. "He wants to be the proper gentleman you deserve, Teenie, not some creature acting purely on instinct. And that's been going on from day one, too. Some of the most early things I picked up from him was something along the lines of 'being on his best behaviour', 'less awkwardness' and 'not being good enough' for you." She shook her head. "So many insecurities. I'm so glad that has mostly stopped."

Tina smiled. "Sorry you had to put up with that... from both of us."

"You have no idea!" Queenie exclaimed. "Sometimes I just wanted to lock you in a room together until you finally had it out... Jacob talked me out of it though, saying things needed to run it's natural course with the two of you. But that was not easy."

Tina chuckled.

"So," Queenie had that telling smirk again. "How was it?"

Tina became quiet and uncomfortable, knowing just what her sister was inquiring after. It was one thing to talk about this with him while basking in the afterglow of their explorations. But it was different with someone else, even if it was her own sister...

"Come on, Teen," she chuckled, "I've seen it in both your minds. You, him, a nice big bed... How was it?"

But Queenie Goldstein wouldn't give up until she got at least some sort of reply. She sighed before starting on an answer. "We didn't-"

"I know you didn't go _there._ But there's been other things!" She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Tina glowered at her. "Why don't you just read my mind and be done with it?"

"Because I want to hear it, not relive it."

Right, yes. She'd rather want to keep those memories to herself, anyway. "Uhm. It was... nice. Wonderful, really." She bit her lips and thought for a moment, unsure just how much to tell her sister. "He's very... gentle and sweet, I guess. Not just in it for his own sake, you know. Not at all like-" She stopped herself from uttering that name, but Queenie knew whom she meant. "I think your books were very much appreciated, Queenie."

Her sister giggled again. "Did he actually read them? I didn't think he would! He's just so... shy."

Tina nodded. "He is. Shy and awkward and quite insecure at times... not always, though." No, sometimes he was quite bold and very sure of what he was doing.

Queenie smirked. "Just awkward around anyone but you, hm?"

Tina couldn't help but chuckle, it was mostly true. "He's also very caring and respectful. Intelligent. Funny."

"And you think he's the only one for you."

Tina smiled but didn't need to affirm it. "So, what about you and Jacob, then?" she asked instead. "What have you been up to while we were gone?"

"Oh, you know... I probably spent more time at his place than ours. I think... I might move in with him once you and Newt have your own place."

"Wouldn't that be highly frowned upon, sister?" she teased her.

"By who? His assistent? I think Henry already knows more than he wants to... and to everyone else I'm more or less officially his fiancée. Won't take much convincing to let them believe we're actually married by then."

"What about MACUSA? They'll find out when you change address to a No-Maj residence."

"Then maybe I'll officially move in with you, Teenie. That won't raise any eyebrows, I'd say."

Tina nodded. It might work. "You'll try and live as a No-Maj then? Because too much magical activity round Kowalski's bakery will definitely raise some red flags in the Auror department."

"Yes, I know. I've already tried it in the last weeks and it's not as bad as you might think."

"Well... if you say so. Just remember to be careful. Violation of Rappaport's Law is taken very seriously and I can't protect you when you're discovered by someone else."

"I know, Teen. And I'm not asking you to. "

 

* * *

 

It was a cold and rainy night at the end of January and Tina returned from work with a growing headache. There were only so many hours one could spend bent over a desk completing paperwork on any given day, and today she had definitely reached those limits. Her neck and shoulders ached with tension from spending too much time in one position, her hand had only just started to uncramp. Tina really didn't enjoy this part of her work as an Auror.

But thankfully, there was Newt. He'd taken one assessing look at her as she entered the flat with a grunt and kicked her shoes of, then he had walked her over to the living room settee and immediately started working his hands on her back in a relaxing massage.

"Hard day at the office?" he asked in a low voice and chuckled at the groan that escaped her when he started to knead her tensed muscles.

Tina nodded. Writing up the Woodcroft case had been a nightmare with all the scattered little pieces of evidence and the long chain of events that had finally led to arresting the man. "Oh, that's good," Tina sighed when Newt had found a particularly bad spot at the back of her neck and started to work on it.

It didn't take long for her to feel better with the headache gone and every tense muscle of her back unwound. The little innocent kisses he'd placed around her neck may have helped a little, too. She leaned back against his chest and felt his arms wrap around her instinctively.

"I'm sorry," she said, shifting to get a little more comfortable in his arms.

"Whatever for?" he wondered.

"Being gone all day, returning home in a bad mood, relying on you to make me feel better." She chuckled. "It all seems a little backwards, doesn it? Usually it's the man coming home from a hard day at the office and the woman waiting for him.... not the other way 'round."

Newt didn't say anything and suddenly Tina felt like she might have hit a nerv with her words. "Newt? Are you... You're still okay with me having a career, right?"

"Of course I am, love." He didn't hesitate in his answer and it was obvious to her that he meant what he said. Newt wasn't inclined to lie, especially about matters like these... But there was a long pause before he spoke again, this time far more hesitant.

"Tina, what would you say if... if I wanted to go out into the field again?"

Tina didn't feel as surprised by his question as he might have though. She had expected this to come up at some point. "Where would you want to go?"

"Uhm, I have a few ideas, but... You wouldn't mind though?"

She shook her head against him. "You've been talking about doing some more research into North American creatures, so it's not a surprise to me. And I don't mind, as long as you come back to me at some point."

He chuckled. "Of course I will. It's just that, I've been feeling a little... restless lately. Nothing much to do in terms of wildlife here in New York City and I've exhausted my sources for theoretical research. I've been exploring parts of Massachusetts since we've visited Salem, had a look at a few promising places in upstate New York, but... apart from confirming that some European creatures do indeed thrive here as well and with similar characteristics, there wasn't much to study."

"It might just be a little too cold at the moment to go looking for Sasquatches though," Tina chuckled, "unless you fancy getting frozen around the Canadian border. Let me tell you, if it's unpleasant in fall, it's even more so in winter."

She felt him grin where he'd leaned his face against her head. "Uhm, no. But I was thinking about Arkansas."

"Arkansas?" Whatever kind of creature did he hope to find there?

"Yes, uhm... you've heard about the fabled 'White River Monster'? It obviously exists, but no one but one of your wandmakers seems to be able to lure it in. I'd like to look into that, I think."

Tina remembered. Mr. Graves had one of those wands, if she recalled correctly, unusually long and with a core of White River Monster spine. Of course Newt would try to find something that was called a 'Monster' by the locals, revealing it to be nothing but a very misunderstood poor creature in the end. It was what he did. "When do you wanna go, Newt?"

He chuckled softly. "Uhm... I might need a few days to work out transport and logistics. But soon, if that's alright."

"Hmhm. I do expect a farewell kiss. And a general place of location so I know it's most likely gonna be you when the Aurors should get a call there."

Newt readily agreed to her conditions. And soon they turned to practice on that farewell kiss for a while...

 

* * *

 

Queenie and Jacob had joined them a bit later for dinner and a few games of Wizard's Checkers.

Jacob bested Tina for once and she bore it with a stony face. Newt was brave enough to play Queenie and at least managed to tie against her. She did have the unfair advantage of knowing his next moves, after all. It was likely though that she had decided to just let her opponent 'not lose' for once...

Jacob wasn't there to witness Newt's kinda-victory, though. He retired early for the night, since he had to get up at 4:00 am for his bakery and work on some special orders.

They went down into Newt's suitcase and took care of his magical creatures together. Well, Tina and Newt did. Queenie spent her time surrounded by the poffle of Puffskeins, with her favourite perched on her shoulder. She had named the little creature Florence (Rensy for short) and put a cute pink bow into her fur some time before Christmas. Rensy still looked very happy about it.

Queenie would spend the night back in her own apartment for once, so they retired just a little before midnight and left Newt to his own devices. He was still busy to settle a dispute between the fairies about... she didn't even know what they were disagreeing about. Newt was needed as a referee though.

Tina extinguished the lights and got comfortable in her own bed for once. Lately she had developed this quite improper habit of climbing down into the suitcase to share a bed with Newt whenever her sister was not home. She always had a little trouble sleeping completely alone, having either shared a room with Queenie or a a dormitory with her Thunderbird housemates most of her life...

"Sleep well, Teenie," her sister spoke sleepily from the other side of the room.

But Tina wasn't in a mind to fall asleep yet. "Newt's gonna leave again, you know?" she murmured into the darkness. _He's gonna leave soon._

"What do you mean, Teen?" Suddenly she sounded wide awake again. "He's not leaving you. How could he, as much in love as he is with you!"

"No, not _leave_ leave. I mean travelling, Queenie. Don't tell me you didn't see it in his mind?"

"I've been on my best behaviour lately, no reading into anything deeper than a casual thought. So no, I haven't."

Tina chuckled at her sisters confession, but became brooding again. "He's getting restless and he has nothing to do at the moment. Newt plans to do some research again, 'out in the fields' in Arkansas." _And as much as I'd love to, I can't go with him._

"Oh, Teenie. You know he'll be back, right?"

"Of course he will. I've just... I've gotten so used to have him around that it's hard to see him go again. But he lets me do my thing, so I'm gonna let him go do his. And Newt's a bit of a wanderer, I guess, happy to be roaming in the wilderness as long he's got his suitcase with him." _His home that goes anywhere he does._

Queenie chuckled at her thought. "Ah, 'Home is where the Heart is'. And that's been with his creatures in the case for a long time, but lately... not so much, Teenie. He's found a new home and that's living in New York right now, which is why he's been happily staying here this long."

Tina looked over to her sister through the semidarkness. "I know. And he's not planning on taking it out of New York, either. Out of Manhattan possibly, but not the greater area of New York City."

"Really?" Queenie sounded very surprised at hearing this.

Tina nodded. "Really, we're staying for the foreseeable future. So, since he lets me be his career girl, I'll let him be my wayfarer... even if it would be nicer to have him around all the time. But I couldn't possibly keep him from doing what he enjoys when he's doing exactly that for me."

Queenie giggled. "Mercy, you've gotten sappy, Teen! Seriously, your 'wayfarer'?"

Tina shifted onto her back in a huff, ignoring her sister's teasing.

Well, almost ignoring it. But the "I've had a lot of time to read on vacation!" was all she deigned to answer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I though you might like to have a bit of interaction between Tina and Queenie... it's been so long since I've written any of that sisterly banter :D 
> 
> Anyway, next chapter we'll have Newt on the road and Tina dealing. Let's see how that works out.


	28. Of Trips and Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt starts travelling again while Tina stays back in New York. We'll have a bit of drama.

Tina had been back at work for a few weeks now, so were Jacob and Queenie. And Newt was back with his creatures in the suitcase. They loved the additional time and attention and having him around so much of course, but Newt had been getting a little restless with nothing proper to do when everyone around him was so busy with their own work.

Newt had started to disapparate out of the city during the days when Tina was at work, exploring the surrounding areas, looking at the native wildlife and taking notes of it. He found a number of creatures he'd already covered in his first edition of the book, namely Doxies, Jarveys, Knarls and the like, in the area, but they were pretty much the same as their European counterpats and didn't take much of his time for further studies.

He'd gone and explored Massachusetts for a bit after Tina had taken him to visit Salem on one of her days off. It had been wonderful to see a wizarding community flourish at exactly the same spot where those witch trials were held that had traumatised the wizarding world centuries ago. Of course, Salem was not an all-wizarding place. Like everywhere else in the United States (excepting Ilvermorny) wizards and witches lived in hiding here, blending in with their No-Maj surroundings without much actual interaction. There had been no memorial at the actual site of the happenings, but could be found in MACUSA's entrance hall instead.

Now it was the beginning of February and he was planning his first actual field trip since meeting Tina. Yes, he'd been travelling to release some of his creatures back into their natural environments, but that wasn't for actual study and exploration but checking up on places and colonies he'd visited before. _This_ was going to be something new. And Newt was quite excited to go out again, to go to Arkansas. A few days after broaching the subject with Tina Newt was busy with preparations. Transport had to be arranged, food and supplies restocked...

He'd read up on everything that was known about the White River Monster. A water creature, not easy to lure, unknown magical abilities, named after its apparent place of origin, the White River in Arkansas. Not much to go on, but that was exactly why Newt planned to go there.

He'd managed to find out the most likely address of Thiago Quintana, one of the four wandmakers here in North America who specialised in wands made with a core of White River Monster spine. If agreeable, he would like to cooperate with the man to find and study this creature. It was always a good thing to cooprate with someone local, at least for starters.

He said goodbye to Tina on a cold Sunday morning and as promised he had told her all the details about his most likely location and further plans. She had given him a departure gift the night before, a framed picture of herself to carry with him in his case on his travels.

"It's one of the few pictures of myself in which I'm actually smiling instead of scowling or being distracted," she had chuckled. "I had it taken while we were in London, after you said you'd be doing more research travel once we're back."

Newt hadn't known what to say and instinctively pulled her close into a tight hug. "Thank you," was all he could manage to utter through the warmth and adoration that had filled any part of him inthat moment. The picture had taken up residence on his slightly cluttered desk now, next to the shot he already had of his small group of friends in Central Park. And yes, Tina did look a little distracted in that one by comparison.

He had managed to arrange for a portkey to a place called Lone Rock in Arkansas that would also take him back to the MACUSA Office of Transportation in exactly ten days. He barely made it in time to register and touch the rusty old nail that was waiting for him, though. (Their farewell kiss just took a little longer than expected, but Newt was very much alright with that.)

He landed in the middle of nowhere on a tree-covered plateau from which he could see a winding river. Newt grinned. _Hello Arkansas!_

 

There was a rustic little house hidden away among the trees, build from mostly wood with a large chimney made from rough stones. Newt stepped onto the porch and knocked on the simple door. It didn't take long for an older wizard of Hispanic descent to open. He had light brown skin, a wrinkled face with a nose rather on the large side and greyish-white hair that was still peppered with the black it had once been.

"Mr. Quintana?" Newt asked.

"Yes?" The man squinted his eyes at him, unsure how to treat this unannounced visitor.

"Hello, sir. My name is Newt Scamander. I'm currently researching magical creatures in North America and you seem to be the topmost authority when it comes to a creature named the White River Monster. Would you maybe be willing to share some information with me regarding those creatures?"

His face hardened immediately into a displeased expression. "Leave," the man said and pointed his hand of into the distance. Newt had expected this, though.

"Sir, I don't want to hunt these creatures or use them for anything. I just want to study them!"

"And what that for? I'm not telling you my secrets!" His expression had turned slightly hostile now and Newt couldn't help but check if he'd had drawn his wand already. Some wandmakers were notorius for keeping and defending their knowledge and skills to the utmost.

"I don't want to know your wandmaking secrets, Mr. Quintana. I've written a book on magical creatures and I'd like to include something more about North American creatures in the next edition. And frankly, the creature whose spines you use for your wands seems to be... quite fascinating, since nothing much is known about it."

His face relaxed slightly, but he still watched Newt with narrowed eyes. "Who are you again?"

"Newt Scamander."

"You're British." Newt nodded. "And what's that book of yours called?"

"Uhm, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'."

"I don't want anyone _finding_ my Whiteys, Mr. Scamander."

Newt shook his head. "It's not a guide on how exactly to find those creatures, Mr. Quintana. I'm not giving out too many details on that, just a general overview on the creature in question, its habitat and behaviours, special magical abilities if there are any. It's to make people see why these creatures should be protected rather than hunted down and killed."

The old wizard mustered him sceptically from head to toe. Newt hopefully didn't look too much like a hunter or trafficker of sorts...  "You've got that book of yours around so I can see what you're on about?"

"Yes, I do." Newt patted down some of the pockets of his coat before he remembered where he'd put it this morning. He produced a new American version of the book, bound in blue instead of red, but still embossed in gold. "It's just come out here in the States. Took MACUSA a while to approve the text, I guess."

The man took the book from Newts's hand and flipped through it quickly without showing any reaction to its contents yet. "I'll have a look at it, Mr. Scamander. Come back again, you'll have my answer then." And with that the door was thrown in his face.

Newt chuckled to himself. _Well, that did go slightly better than expected_ , he thought and turned around to explore the area and seek a secluded place where he could put his case for the night. It was late afternoon already, since it had taken him quite a while to find the secluded house of Thiago Quintana, wandmaker.

 

The next day around noon Mr. Quintana was more open to talk to him. He was still a little mistrusting and wanted to see some identification and surprisingly his wand permit before letting him enter his home. Newt had both with him of course and handed them over for inspection. _What was it with people and inspecting papers, these days?_ That didn't usually happen this often outside of customs clearing... at least not before that Grindelwald debacle in New York.

"Okay, Mr. Scamander," the wandmaker started once they'd sat down in a quite rustic living room. "Why come to me and not go out there and look for the Whiteys yourself?"

"Well, I usually would. But I'm on a limited timeframe for this trip as I'm expected back in New York nine days from now. So I thought it would be wise to go and interview someone who's been around these creatures before wasting time looking in the wrong places."

The man nodded. "Okay, what do you wanna know?"

"So, you'll help me?" Newt asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not, but I have some conditions. I wanna see what you're going to write on them before its published. I don't want anything in there that leads people here to try and catch themselves one of the Whiteys, so no directions or instructions to lure them. And no mentions of my name."

Newt nodded, those were fair conditions he could easily agree to. "Alright, Mr. Quintana. So... let's start easy. What kind of water creature is the White River Monster exactly? No one seems to be sure about that..."

 

Newt returned via Portkey exactly ten days after his arrival. Mr. Quintana had been very helpful after his initial gruffiness and the first few days had been spent talking, taking notes and scouting along the banks of the White River. They'd found the fish creatures that were so wrongly named White River 'Monsters'... Newt found that they were actually gentle creatures that had the misfortune to look a little menacing becauseof  their size and those spines on their back.

'Whiteys' were fish roughly the size and shape of his suitcase. Greyish green in colour with dark spots all over, quite high and big in size compared to normal non-magical fish and they had a number of spikes on their high back that were of a rose gold colour. They were actually invisible to Muggles and actively repelled them, which meant that the few non-wizards that had reported seeing them must have had some magical ancestry. Oh, and the spikes Quintana took for his wands did actually regrow, so no creature had to be fatally harmed to produce them which Newt heartily approved of.

He had managed to make a few sketches of the creatures and got enough information from Quintana as well as his own observations to warrant an addition to the next edition of his book. As promised to the wandmaker, he wouldn't share his knowledge about finding them, though.

This trip had been very successful indeed.

 

* * *

 

There was a small knock on the door to her flat and Tina opened it to reveal her wayfarer, freshly returned from his expedition to Arkansas.

"Newt!" she exclaimed happily and pulled him inside quickly (Mrs. Esposito may tolerate her fiancé being here, but they didn't have to rub it in her face now, did they?), then wrapped him in a tight hug and buried her face in the crook of his neck. It had only been ten days, but she had missed him. Very much. It was good to have him back again.

Newt chuckled and threw his arms around her, cradling the back of her head and pulling her even closer to him.

"Hello, my love," he greeted her and kissed her hair. "I'm back."

Tina shifted back a little and studied him closely, taking in every freckle and the small lines around his green eyes. He looked pretty much the same as when he had left, apart from the slightly more pronounced shadows under his eyes. _He'd had trouble sleeping too, then._

Her hand cradled his face, feeling the hint of stubble on his cheek. They locked eyes for a short moment, smiling at each other, and then they kissed. At first just lips pressing and moving against each other, then gently sucking and nipping, and finally tongues sliding in a slow and intense dance. Oh yes, she had missed this, too.

Tina was only faintly aware of hearing a popping noise somewhere behind her. Right... Queenie had been here to keep her company, but apparently she was not any longer.

Newt gently broke their kiss before it got out of hand and chuckled against her. "Quite the welcome."

"I missed you," she whispered. _Coming home to you, falling asleep with you, just... spending time with you.  
_

Newt hummed. "So did I, love. Uhm, was that Queenie disapparating or did we just put on a very indecent display for someone else?"

"Just Queenie," Tina giggled. She felt giddy having him back again, having him so close, being able to take in his comforting (enticing) scent. She probably wouldn't let go of him for the rest of the night.

And Newt was very much okay with that it turned out just a bit later...

 

They fell back into their usual routine quickly, even though for the first few days Tina might have been just a little more clingy than usual. Newt didn't comment on it, he welcomed it in fact, and sharing a bed and falling asleep in each others arms had become the new norm for them.

He spent the next weeks working on his notes during the day when she was at work, and making plans for their wedding in the evenings, often in the company of an overly excited Queenie. The date they had set was May 19th, a Saturday, and they'd have the ceremony and celebrations inside Newt's suitcase, on the Hippogriff-meadow that he still kept around. This way Jacob would at least be able to be there with them and witness the ceremony, even though in hiding. It was not ideal, but really the best they could come up with.

Newt's family would attend the ceremony too, of course. No one had the ability to keep Gracia Scamander from attending her son's wedding, certainly not such a small obstacle as the Atlantic Ocean. Her last letter said that Perseus had managed to arrange for travel via International Floo and they'd arrive in New York two days before the wedding. It was all starting to take shape and Tina was getting more and more excited.

 

With the beginning of March, Newt slowly tried to warm her up to him going on another trip. This one just a little longer because he'd have to do a bit more suveying in Arizona. Tina wasn't exactly thrilled to have him leave again, but he'd promised that it would be his last trip before their wedding and the next one they'd make together... whatever that meant. After taking a month off in December an January Tina was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to get any extended time off work to accompany Newt on his travels, at least not the longer ones. She might be able to manage a weekend every now and then, though.

She had agreed to let him go, even if two to three weeks was considerably longer than the ten days he'd been gone before. But she'd have him back home for at least two months after that, so it felt like a good deal.

They spent that last in the privacy of his suitcase. And this time it was him who gave a gift before his departure. It was a simple green notebook, much like the ones he used for his study notes, but enchanted especially for her.

"You can write to me in here," he explained with a soft smile. "Just tap the page with your wand when you're finished and the words will appear in the counterpart I'll take with me."

Tina grinned. "Thank you, that's... incredible, Newt." Him being gone would be so much more bearable if they could at least write to each other without the delay of using an owl. She opened the book and had a look at it, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary about it. "How does it work? I've never heard about such a thing before..."

He chuckled awkwardly. "Uhm, very strong Binding Spells to connect the two notebooks, some Dublication Charms... it took a while to get it right and working. I've tested it while I was in Arkansas though, so I know that it works over great distance. The little square on the cover will start to glow when there's a new message for you."

She smiled at him brightly. Newt was a very talented wizard, indeed. She hadn't even thought about trying to create something like this... a way for them to communicate more or less instantly, even if they were many miles apart. She smirked. "Then maybe I should change my conditions to daily updates from you?"

Newt chuckled. "I don't know if I could keep a promise of daily messages once I'm out there. You know how I get... time just ceases to exist when I get immersed in my studies. But I'll write as often as I can, would that be alright?"

Tina nodded with a grin and pressed the Very Important Notebook to her chest. And Newt pressed her to his chest for the rest of the night.

 

* * *

 

His next field trip brought Newt to Arizona for Thunderbird observation. Most of his information on these beasts was taken from Frank alone and general knowledge derived from other sources, since he hadn't had the chance to actually go to Arizona himself when he had planned to. (Thanks to the very witch he would soon call his wife!)

It was March now and so he'd likely be able to make a few observations concerning the Thunderbird's nesting habits and how they raised their young. Assuming he'd find them, of course.

Complying with Tina's innitial conditions was not that easy though, since he didn't quite know himself where exactly he would find the beasts he was looking for. Arizona had a lot of wild and uninhabitated landscapes for them to roam in, so he'd probably change location more than once, which is why he'd be gone for longer this time. Two to three weeks by his estimation.

But Tina let him go anyway and he'd left her the enchanted notebook he'd been working on for months so they could write to each other this time around. That would make it easier. Hopefully.

His MACUSA portkey brought him out to the Grand Canyon, as good a place to start his search for Thunderbirds as any. This time the broken quill that brought him here didn't have a predefined date and time to take him back to New York, instead he was supposed to make his way to Albuquerque in New Mexico, the nearest sizable wizarding community, and contact the local Transportation Office there to get a new portkey back to New York. That was going to be interesting... but first he'd have to find his beasts.

Newt's first message to Tina that evening was the following:

 

_My dear Tina,_

_I have arrived safely here in Arizona. Currently I'm in the area known as the Grand Canyon, where it is quite a bit warmer than expected this time of year._

_I have already been successful in finding some Thunderbirds... or rather, a certain Thunderbird has managed to find me. Frank says hello and seems very eager to show me his new home. Not only has he made it back here on his own, but apparently he's found a mate as well._

_What I wouldn't give to show you instead of writing, though..._

_I miss you._

_Newt_

 

* * *

 

Tina had been asked to take a half-day to stop her from working too much. The Auror Department was stretched quite thin at the moment with the many attacks on No-Majs and wizards that had been happening lately, but they didn't need anyone else to drop from active duty, especially not due to being overworked.

She was not happy about this. She'd thrown herself a little more into her job when Newt was out studying in the field and his latest trip was going on three weeks now... She missed him and being at work had kept her from staring at the notebook he'd left her and start asking questions about his whereabouts like the nagging wife she had yet to become.

So on this particular Sunday afternoon she threw open the door to her empty appartment, kicked off her sensible shoes and put her coat up next to the door. Next to a teal blue one she hadn't seen hanging there in about three weeks.

Newt had come back from Arizona!

Tina turned to look around and found him lying stretched out on her bed, asleep. She tiptoed over to him and studied the resting man she hadn't seen in so long. There seemed to be quite a few new additions to the freckles on his face this time, no doubt a gift from the Arizona sun. No visible injuries though, much to her relief.

Leaning down over his face with a grin, she swept his slightly too long fringe from his eyes and kissed him. Newt's eyes fluttered open and slowly focussed on her.

"Tina," he whispered and smiled sleepily.

"Hello, darling. Welcome home."

Newt hummed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. Found anything interesting in Arizona?"

He chuckled softly. "Lots, but I think I'd rather like to kiss you right now than talk about my trip." She grinned and let him do just that.

It started out with slow and sweet morning kisses (he had just woken up after all), but they quickly turned into a more heated kind as three weeks of separation caught up with them. Not long after, Tina found herself flat on the mattress and covered by him, revelling in the feeling of his hands, lips, tongue and body pressing against her. Oh yes, she had missed him very much.

Things were just about to get a little more... heated between them when suddenly there was a loud crack in the living room and a shout. "Teenie!"

The door to the bedroom flew open to an agitated Queenie. She did not look good, eyes red and watery, she looked close to breaking out in tears. "Teenie!"

Newt had moved off her the minute he had heard the shout. He was sitting slightly off to the side at the foot of the bed now, trying to regain his composure and watching them with a mixture of concern and annoyance.

"What happened, Queenie?" Tina asked with a frown. Her sister was never in a state like this, and the last time she had been crying was after Jacob... _No!_

Queenie started openly sobbing now. "We've been... I think we've been discovered, Teen!"

_Oh no. No no no, please!_ This was not good. Absolutely not good. "How? When?"

"Jacob and I... we been walking down by the park and there was this witch. I knew her from somewhere at MACUSA and... she saw us, Teen. And she knew, I could see it in her mind. She's gonna tell."

"Where's Jacob?" Newt asked.

"His flat. I brought him there after... just now. This wasn't-. We've been so careful!"

"Alright," Newt sprang into action after a moment of thought. "Pack a bag, Queenie."

"What?" Queenie looked at him with her teary eyes as if he'd lost his mind. _What is he doing?_

"I said: pack a bag, please. Clothing and whatever else you'll need when you're leaving the city. There's... an emergency plan for exactly this situation." Newt looked at them expectantly, but neither moved to comply with his orders. "Please, hurry." There was a glint in his eyes that told Tina he was very much serious about this.

Queenie moved to get the suitcase out from under her bed, but Tina frowned at her fiancé. "What are you gonna do, Newt? What emergency plan?" Where was he taking Queenie?

He watched the blonde start packing before he answered her. "I'm getting them out of here, Jacob and Queenie. If they've been seen and that witch is going to tell the autorities, they need to leave as soon as possible. How long exactly does it take for the Auror Department to spring into action for something like this?"

Tina had to think about this. "Uhm.. I don't know. We're stretched quite thin at the moment, so it might be a while... from hours to days. It's not... a strict priority what with everything else going on right now."

"Good, okay." He nodded and kept loking over to Queenie who was now hastily throwing stuff into the case. He met her eyes again. "Don't worry, Tina. They'll be safe. Can you trust me on that?"

Tina looked from Newt to Queenie, who had now finished her packing, then back to the man she had already trusted with her life once... and nodded. Newt released the breath he'd held. "Thank you. I'll... leave you two to say goodbye. But please, make it quick?"

He left into the living room and closed to door behind him.

"He's gonna try and get you out of here," Tina explained to Queenie, who hadn't heard everything he said while stuffng things into a bag. "I don't know where you're going, but I trust Newt. He's gonna keep you safe. And that's what matters right now."

Queenie nodded and hugged her close. "I'm so sorry, Teen. This wasn't supposed to happen. It just..."

"It is how it is, sweety. Please, just take care...wherever you're going." Tina felt the tears well in her eyes. This was not how she had thought today to go... saying goodbye to her sister for Mercy knew how long. And for such an elusive thing, too... loving the wrong man.

"You too, Teen. They'll come for you when they can't find us."

"I know. It is how it is. I'm not regretting keeping your secret, I never will."

Queenie nodded and sobbed against her. "I'll go now. Newt's getting impatient to get a move on." She left the bedroom with a suitcase in hand, hastily wiping the tears from her face.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," she hurried out after Queenie, but Newt shook his head at her and caught her by the shoulders.

"No, Tina. I need you to stay here. The less people know, the better. Please?"

The look in his eyes begged her to understand... and Tina trusted this man to do the right thing for her sister and Jacob. "Okay... okay. Will you come back, though?"

Newt nodded and kissed her. "I'll be back tonight. If they come for you before that... tell them I helped them escape. _Use my name_ , alright?"

Tina nodded, even though she didn't know why that was so important to him to be dragged into this mess as well. She took a step back from her fiancé and hastily wiped her eyes, took one last lingering look at her sister and cleared her throat.

"Good luck," she said, brave face in place.

Newt smiled at her. It was small and sad in comparison, but it was still a smile. He walked back to Queenie, took her arm and disapparated. Tina trusted him to keep her (them) safe. _Newt Scamander knows very well what he is doing..._ Queenie and Jacob, they were his newest rescue case _._

 

* * *

 

It took two very tense days until someone came by the Goldstein flat. Tina had gone back to work as usual the next day and reported her sister sick for a few days so her absence wouldn't be too suspicious. She also kept her eyes and ears open for any kind of operation concerning a witch and her No-Maj lover.

Newt saw a flicker of hope inside her that maybe the witch hadn't told on Queenie after all, but then a pair of seasoned Aurors knocked on their door early on a Tuesday morning during breakfast, looking for Queenie and her as of yet unidentified No-Maj companion.

Of course they hadn't been able to find her, so instead they settled for taking Tina in for a questioning. Newt watched on from the sidelines as the older Auror turned around to put her under arrest.

"We'll have to take you in. Aiding and abetting criminal behaviour by letting your sister see that No-Maj and not informing on her. Letting them escape too, by the looks of it. That's a severe violation of Rappaport's Law, Goldstein."

Tina only nodded resigned and stepped forward so they could take her away with them. But Newt wouldn't have that. At least she would not go alone.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to take me in as well then for that aiding and abetting business," Newt mumbled, turning up his awkwardness (and the British accent) just a little for effect. It worked wonders to make himself seem quite the unthreatening bumbling idiot at times... "I was the one to bring them to the docks, you see."

Tina turned around with a shocked expression. "Newt, what are you doing?"

"Uhm, telling the truth?" he said and smiled sheepishly, keeping his eyes averted from the Aurors at all times.

They were both taken in to the Investigative Department immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dun dun duuuuun*  
> I know I promised a while ago not to leave you with any cliffhangers, but well... this part of the story had to be seperated into multiple chapters. You know me, I'm usually quite on time with my updates. We'll continue this in two days ;) 
> 
> For anyone still in the mood to see a few inspirational pictures. Here's more or less the landscape Newt travels to in Arkansas:  
>   
> A little place resembling Mr. Quintana's house in the woods:  
>   
> And here we have a smaller version of the "White River Monster" fish. It's a Spotted Scat and those spines are actually venomous:  
>   
> Looking cute, hm? Now imagine those the size of Newt's suitcase, please *shudder*  
>   
> I also posted an extended outtake from this chapter, it's called ["The Getaway Plan"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9694715) and details just how exactly Newt helped Queenie and Jacob escape.  
> And for those who'd like to know more about what happened at that first reunion when Newt returns from Arkansas, check out chapter 3 of ["A Lingering Desire"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22005575).


	29. A Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Newt and Tina are held by MACUSA, but Newt has a plan.

They had been brought down into the MACUSA holding cells after Graves himself had taken a lot of time to question them both seperately about the case of a missing Queenie Goldstein and her non-wizard companion. Newt hadn't said a word more than he'd already said in Tina's company, and Tina hadn't been very cooperative either. Now she was nervously walking up and down the cell in front of the bars.

"Tina, calm down please. Pacing will not help the situation."

She looked at him sharply. "Why did you insist they take you in as well?"

"To help you, us, in this situation. I wasn't going to let them take you away from me and put you behind bars for this... not on your own."

"And how exactly is this gonna help?" she demanded in a sharp voice. "There's no one out there now who could help us... everyone I know is either in hiding, busy preparing our prosecution or in this cell with me!"

Newt shook his head. "That's not true, Tina." 

"Isn't it? Then tell me, who's gonna help us? How will we get out of this, out of here? And what about Queenie and Jacob?!"

Newt stepped in her way to stop her pacing, took her face in his hands and looked her deep in the eyes. "Tina, love. Please, stop your pacing and calm yourself." That didn't help at all though, he only got a derisive snort and an eyeroll out of her.

He took a deep breath and started explaining before she went past him again. "My brother keeps tabs on me. Whenever my name is mentioned in any kind of official message or report, he'll hear of it not long after the fact."

She raised a questioning exebrow at him. "And how will Theseus hear about this? He's not even in the country!"

"He'll hear of it. I'm a British citizen, Tina. If this is to be a proper investigation and prosecution, MACUSA will have to inform someone at the British Ministry of Magic and wait with procedures until they've sent someone over. And since it's _me_ that person will most likely be either my father as an Official from the International Magical Office of Law or Theseus as Head of Magical Law Enforcement in Britain." He didn't feel too comfortable exploiting this, but it was the only way for them to get out of this without ending up on the run as well. Tina stared at him in disbelief. "They'll help us to get out of this together, love. Not just me. Both of us. You are family, remember?"

"You... What?"

Newt felt a smile tuck at his lips. "I'm not saying we're getting off scot-free but we'll at least have someone to take our case and act in our favour. But this only works, if I was arrested myself. So here I am, sharing a cell with you." 

Tina nodded when she finally understood his reasons for joining her. "What about my sister, though? And Jacob?"

"They're going to be just fine, trust me. Graves would have told us if they'd been found yet."

Tina looked at him with sadness in her eyes, all the fight seemed to suddenly have gone out of her. "If you know where they are, could you please tell me? I just... I hate not knowing."

Newt put his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest. He wanted to tell her, but there was a chance of them being overheard in an open cell like this. There certainly were guards near by, and rumour had it there were Listening Spells in place as well. Tina didn't know anything about the plans he had made with Jacob a long time ago, and neither did MACUSA. He was unwilling to let go of that advantage by outright stating where he'd sent them. 

He thought for a moment on how to phrase it without giving too much away and risk everything.

"I don't know exactly, Tina," he spoke against her head. "They probably went on the next ship that left habour. For all I know they could be somewhere in the south by now or up in Canada... or they've just taken a short trip to the Hamptons." 

Tina looked up at him in confusion. "Canada, the Hamptons or the Southern States?"

Newt shrugged. "Just a guess. I'm not sure but I think Jacob's great-aunt _Grace_ had a little place somewhere down in Florida where they could've gone. They should be safe and sound there in a _manor_ of speaking."

There was no great-aunt Grace of course and Newt was sure that Tina knew that. She was an intelligent woman and would hopefully make the connection from 'Grace' to Gracia and the mispronounced "manner" that had absolutely nothing to do with his British accent. He'd thrown a few other possible destinations in for good measure, just to confuse anyone who might be listening and send them off in the wrong direction.

Tina frowned for a while but finally gave him a small smile when she (hopefully) understood his rather cryptic message. "Queenie always loved holidays down south. She's never been to Florida, though."

 

* * *

 

It had to be late at night by now but Newt hadn't managed to shut his eyes yet. He was still watching over Tina, who had been too exhausted to keep awake any longer and fallen asleep on the cot in their cell a short while ago. And also waiting for the legal support from Britain to arrive.

Finally, bouncing among the pillars there was the echo of a two pairs of feet. Someone was coming for them, since currently they were the only prisoners down here. The steps suddenly stopped, there was a hushed whisper to be heard and a single person approached further. A tall and slim man with precisely cut white hair in a blue suitlike robe.

"Father." Newt felt equally relieved and apprehensive as he got up to meet him at the bars. This was not how he had thought their next meeting after Christmas to go... but there was nothing for it now.

Perseus nodded in greeting, than looked deeper into the cell and saw Tina deeply asleep on the cot. "Would you look at that," he spoke in a soft voiceand grinned,  "now it's the both of you under arrest instead of just the one."

Newt, a little embarrassed at being found like this, cleared his throat.  "I take it they sent you then?"

"Oh, I insisted on taking this case myself," Perseus said with a chuckle but turned serious again. "I sent for Theseus, too."

"Why?" Newt wondered. He hadn't thought that both of them were neccessary. His father was a senior lawyer with the Ministry after all, he should be able to handle this himself.

"Because it's not looking good for Tina, Newt. She'll definitely loose her job, and likely her freedom if this goes before an American Wizengamot to be judged. But we are working on something..."

"Any progress in finding her sister?"

"No. No passengers by the name of either Goldstein, Kowalski _or_ Scamander were found on any ship leaving New York in the past two days. They did a search for them at the Hamptons, have lookouts in Canada and the Southern States, particularly in Florida for some reason. But nothing. They've vanished." 

Newt nodded and allowed for a small smile. Then the plan had worked. And they really had been eavesdropped on.

"Any input on that matter, son?" his father asked, almost too nonchalantly. 

"I stand by what I said during the interrogation... I couldn't possibly say where they are right now. And even if I did, I certainly wouldn't do so where someone is eavesdropping with a Listening Spell."

Perseus chuckled. "Alright, alright.. Is there anything else I can do for you? Anything you need at the moment?"

Newt hesitated. "Uhm... do you know what happened to my case? Someone needs to take care of my creatures while I'm... occupied otherwise. I doubt they'd let me have it in here."

"It's been taken into custody and searched. Some bright Auror thought you might actually have hidden them in there, but nothing was found. I'll see if there's something I can do about getting it out or at least look after those beasts of yours."

"Thank you. Uhm... there's some basic care instructions in a little book on my work bench down there. You'll know it when you see it. Just... make sure there's enough food and water for my creatures, that should do it."

Perseus nodded. "Will do. Now try to get some sleep, boy, you look like death warmed over. Nothing's going to happen until tomorrow morning anyway."

His father left as wordless as he had come, turning on his heel after a short nod and disappearing into the dark again. Newt looked at Tina, relieved that there was at least some good news for her. He sat down on the ground next to the cot, head resting against the cold stone next to hers, and fell asleep when he let the exhaustion of the day finally take over.

 

* * *

 

They were woken up early in the morning by the night guard bringing  them some food and water for breakfast, but Tina didn't have the stomach for more than a cup of water and let the toast go untouched.

Newt filled her in on his late-night meeting with his father when the guard was gone again. At least there was some good news in that her sister still hadn't been found yet. But Tina couldn't help but worry about them... Newt had been very cryptic when he told her of their destination last night, but she was pretty sure they were bound for England. His secrecy was a good thing too, since apparrently these cells really were endowed with a Listening Spell. She had never believed those rumours to be true before... but why else would they go and search in Florida and all the other places Newt had named specifically.

As for the fact that she would loose her job... well, that really was the lesser of her worries right now. She just needed her sister safe and happy, not incarcerated and miserable after loosing Jacob for a second time. She would cope with everything thrown her way, as long as they were safe and free. Queenie, Jacob and Newt, too. This silly man who had insisted on being arrested alongside her just to get his father involved in an official capacity. She hadn't known Perseus was actually a lawyer and apparrently well versed in international legislation and justice... must be handy for someone like Newt, who had a tendency to get into some kind of trouble wherever he went.

They were both sitting on the uncomfortable cot now, Newt holding her closely wrapped in his arms and kissing her every so often on the hair, forehead, cheek... He didn't say much, but that was okay. His actions spoke volumes of love and care. Tina had also come to terms with the fact that she'd likely spend at least part of her life in a prison, and she would do so gladly for the sake of her loved ones... So propriety or whatever was interpreted as that could go jinx itself right about now. She really craved this kind of warmth and comfort from her fiancé and relished it as long as she could still get it. There would be none of this where she was headed.

For lunch Tina got a bowl of clear broth, since she hadn't tried to eat solid food since getting here, and there were some sandwiches for Newt. He had to do a lot of arguing so she would at least eat (or rather drink) half the bowl of her soup and get some crucial nutrition into her body. It was only the deepset worry in his eyes that had finally convinced her to try. It had been about 24 hours since her last meal by then and she started to feel it too, growing ever more sluggish in his arms. 

Some time in the afternoon there was a group of people approaching again. The two Aurors on guard, she recalled their names as Milverton and Ojobe, as well as Perseus and Theseus Scamander came to a halt in front of their cell.

"Goldstein, Scamander. You've got visitors!" Ojobe announced in a way too loud voice before the guards left the four of them alone again to talk. 

Newt pulled her up and they went to meet their visitors at the bars.

"Father. Theseus. Any news?" Newt asked.

"Yes and no," Perseus answered cryptically. "They still haven't been found, Tina. And honestly, in a country as large as this I doubt they actually will." Hm... either Perseus was trying to mislead the authorities as well, or he really didn't know yet where Newt had sent them. Tina wasn't sure which one was more likely, though.

"We've managed to work on something for the both of you," Theseus said. "But I'm not sure if you will like all of it."

Tina nodded and mustered her last strength to keep her voice strong. "Let's hear it then." 

Theseus nodded. "We've had a very long meeting with your superiors, meaning Mr. Graves and Madame Picquery. It was not easy, but... there's a way to get you both out of this without anyone ending up in a prison cell." Okay, that didn't sound too bad yet.

Theseus continued. "Newt, in this scenario you would have acted officially on request of your fiancée when putting two wanted people on a ship as you have claimed to do. You are obviously very sorry to have broken a law you're not too familiar with as a British citizen. They'll let you off with a warning, again, since the President feels MACUSA is still a bit indepted to you after that whole Grindelwald thing."

Newt nodded. "What about Tina?" Yes, her own part would not be that easy to iron out...

"Well, that will not be so straightforward. Miss Goldstein, your sister has willingly associated with a 'No-Maj' for quite a period of time and you've kept that fact a secret from the law enforcement... and associated with the man yourself, too. Your landlady was an upstanding citizen and told the Aurors that Mr. Kowalski has been in your flat on several occasions, while you were there." Yes, of course Mrs. Esposito would say that... but Tina wouldn't blame her for telling the truth. 

"The MID don't particularly like employees who act on their own interpretations of the law, Miss Goldstein." Tina nodded. She'd be kicked out of Law Enforcement, that much was very clear. "But we have worked something out with your superiors, and this is the point you might not like." He looked at Newt, then Tina before continuing with a serious expression. "In this scenario, you'll not be incarcerated and even be able to keep working as an Auror, but... you would do so as part of the British Auror Offices."

Tina couldn't believe her ears. "What?" No prison cell? Instead a transfer to the British Auror Offices? That sounded way too good to be true...

"We've made a deal with Mr. Graves to help you stay out of prison, Miss Goldstein... It's a bit shady, but officially you'd have been transferred to the BAO a while back, namely after returning from England in January. That's what the papers will say at least. After getting engaged to my brother you asked for a transfer to Britain for personal reasons, Graves and I approved your request. So, you would have officially been on loan from the Ministry these past months while my brother was busy gallivanting around America and are therefore not to be judged by authorities here in the States but in Britain. Where, I might add, you didn't actually break any laws."

Tina was dumbfounded. How was that even possible? "I'm... going into exile, then." What a strange thought.

"In a way, yes," Perseus confirmed. "'Out of sight, out of mind' as the saying goes. It was the only possibility that would keep you out of a long prison sentence. And you'll even be able to continue work as an Auror if you so desire." He paused and looked at her. "It's not official yet until you agree. But believe me, Tina, it was the best possible option to be negotiated. Violation of Rappaport's Law is taken _quite_ serious here."

"And Graves... Picquery... they approved of this?" 

"Yes. You'd have to stay out of the North America for while, but I'm sure you will be able to visit again eventually."

Tina thought on this. Exile. She'd have to leave New York for good, the only home she'd ever known apart from Ilvermorny. But was that really so bad? Queenie and Jacob were on their way to England already and would not be able to return either. They would still be wanted people for violation of Rappaport's Law. And she knew a few people over there now, mainly Newt's family and a teacher at Hogwarts. People seemed generally quite nice once you got to know them, though. 

She could make it work, make a new home for herself. With Newt. And her sister, and her sister's huband. Because Queenie would finally be able to marry Jacob in England. 

"Okay, make the deal," she whispered and dared to glance at Newt who looked rather relieved at her answer. "I'll go and uproot my life if that is the only possible solution to make everyone happy. Make the deal."

"Well, then. We'll make things official with your superiors and you should get out of this cell some time later tonight," Perseus said with a smile.

"Where do we go then?" Tina couldn't help but ask. _When does my exile start?  
_

"Home, I suggest. Pack up your things for transport to England. You'll have two days, until Friday."

 

* * *

 

They were released before supper by the same disgruntled guard who had locked them in their cell not 36 hours ago.

"You're free to go," he said. They were handed their wands and coats back, Newt got a notice stating that his suitcase had been released into the care of Perseus Scamander and not long after they walked out of the Woolworth Building to go home.

Newt insistend on walking for a few blocks before they disapparated. Being in a cell (cage) that long had not suited him very well and he needed to be able to move more than a few paces at a time right now to feel comfortable again, lose the feeling of being a trapped. Tina understood and walked with him. 

It was already dark when they arrived at the brownstone that had become home to both of them for the past months. Newt let them in with her key and led her up the many flights of stairs to the top floor and her (their) appartment. Come Friday she'd have to leave this place for good and relocate to England... she did not feel too sad about it, though not yet happy either. But somewhere underneath the numbness of shock that had settled over her there was a smidge of happiness growing, waiting to be let out. But she still needed her time to work through everything that had happened since they'd been locked up yesterday morning. _Was that really only yesterday?_

Newt set to work in the kitchen and made them both a cup of steaming hot cocoa before opening his suitcase (stored next to the bedroom door, and she couldn't even feel angry at Perseus for intruding into her home like that) with an inviting smile towards her. Tina didn't think twice about climbing down the stairs and into the safe environment that awaited her down there. Newt's case was a place of comfort and familiarity... for both of them.

Dougal was already waiting for them just outside the wooden door, clinging to her the moment she left the shed. The Demiguise had probably had a premonition about their return. Newt followed her and sat her down on the lovely green meadow from Rae's former habitat. He'd kept that piece just for the two of them while reconstructing again and moved it behind his little shed where it could be seen from the bedroom window. She'd woken up many mornings to this sight, the place of their first kiss, with Newt's arms wrapped around her.

He kissed her forehead and murmured against her skin, "I'll have a quick look around to see if everything's okay in here. Dougal here will keep you company until I'm back." Tina nodded and coninued stroking the Demiguise's white fur until he started purring in imitation of a cat. It was a very soothing sound. 

Newt returned a little while later, apparrently satisfied with what he had found, and plopped down behind her to wrap her into a close embrace without upsetting the creature in her lap too much. They would make quite an interesting sight right now, but there was no one there to see in the moment.

"You alright?" Newt whispered into her hair.

Tina nodded. "Yes. I'm just... still in shock, I think. From everything. I feel a little numb." 

"Hmm. Anything you need, love?"

"Just keep holding me, please?" _And I could probably do with a shot of Gigglewater..._ but he'd have to get up for that and Tina did not want him to go.

So Newt did just what she had asked. He held her close against his chest, face pressed into her hair and breathing with her. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Her cup of cocoa was empty, Dougal had fallen asleep in her lap, a warm and comforting presence. Pickett had found them, ranted at Newt for leaving him behind – again – and then let them have some more alone-time.

"They're on their way to England. I did get that right, didn't I?" Tina asked finally. She was pretty sure about the meaning behind his strangely worded sentence in the cell this morning, but now that no one was listening in on them anymore, she felt the need to clarify.

"Yes, you did. Steamer to Southampton and from there on to the Manor by Floo or Apparition. It'll be another two days though until they arrive."

"Okay. That's gonna make it easier, to have them there as well."

Newt didn't say anything for a moment, then he whispered into her hair. "For a long moment back there I thought you might actually choose going to prison over... going to England permanently."

"It wasn't about that, Newt. I... had trouble understanding what Perseus was saying exactly." She squeezed his hand on her shoulder. "Once I'm over this strange feeling of... I don't know, miraculously escaping certain criminal conviction? Once I've worked through that I know I'm gonna be very happy about it."

She paused for a moment. "Are _you_ okay, darling?"

He nodded against her. "I get to keep you with me as a free woman, so yes I am... I don't think they would have let us get married in prison."

Tina chuckled sofly. "I don't know... but MACUSA won't marry us either now." They'd be long gone by May 19th.

 

* * *

 

There was a knock on the door to her flat and suddenly Perseus Scamander stood in front of her. "Oh. Good morning. Come in, Perseus," she said exhausted and stepped aside to let the man enter. He took a curious look around the room and smirked.

"Lovely," he commented on the flat that had been her home for the past five years. Hers and Queenie's. There was nothing lovely about it anymore though since most things were neatly packed up in boxes by now. Boxes that Newt was currently busy storing inside her very much enlarged suitcase for transport. It was nothing as fancy as Newt's case of course, but it would do the trick.

"Father, what are you still doing here in New York?" Newt wondered in surprise.

So did Tina, but she didn't have a mind to ask right now. It was Friday morning and she had to leave the country today... there were still a few things to do until then.

"Legal counselling for that agreement we've made on your behalf. Documents had to be backdated, signed off by Ministry Officials etc. I won't bore you with the details, but it's done now."

And later tonight their International Floo Connection would bring them straight to the Ministry of Magic in London, and into a new chapter of life. She was really looking forward to it by now.

"I just came by because received a confidential message that might interest you," Perseus continued with a smile. "Gracia is equally thrilled and surprised to have received some unexpected guests from New York a few hours ago. You might be looking forward to meet them, Tina. "

"Good to hear," Newt said, clearly pleased to hear his plan had worked out. Tina didn't feel that relieved though... not yet. Not until she could see that her sister was safe with her own eyes.

"It was _your_ plan then, I guess?" Perseus asked bemused.

Newt nodded. "It's been in place for a while, so they could make a quick get-away even if I wasn't around to help. Uhm... Counterfeit Muggle passports for travelling, an up-to-date time table of ships leaving for England and instructions on how to get to the Manor once there."

Tina was not surprised to hear this, Newt had told her all the details of it once they were alone and in the safety of his suitcase after getting released. It seemed to be news to Perseus, though. So he really hadn't known about their actual destination.

"I didn't think they would need to use it though," Newt continued. "Jacob had actually been thinking about selling his bakery and taking Queenie to England himself..."

That _was_ news to Tina. "Did he really?" she inquired. Newt hadn't told her about that bit.

He nodded and smiled. "Yes, he told me in confidence just before I left for Arizona... I guess that 'in confidence' is not quite relevant anymore, though."

Perseus grinned when he witnessed their interaction. "Well, he'll have to manage all that bakery business via correspondance now. He can't come back for a while. Three years at least by orders of Madame Picquery, that goes for all of you. Though I think Theseus will manage to talk Graves around so your sister and her beau won't have their 'wanted'-status for much longer."

Newt grinned, probably at hearing his father use the word 'beau'. It did sound kinda strange. "Theseus and Graves in one room... I wonder who will win those arguments," he chuckled.

"Well, your brother is very determined to get his wishes in this one. I think he might feel the need to make up for something..."

_Did he now?_ Tina still hadn't forgiven him his antics at Christmas. Who knew that Theseus Scamander would actually be willing to work so hard for it. She might have to reconsider her opinion about him if he kept up his good behaviour when they were back in England.

"Now, our Floo Connection tonight will be available from 6 o'clock for 15 minutes. Don't be late or you will have to take a ship, too. And Gracia would be very disappointed not to have you two there for Easter Brunch." He paused and looked pointedly at his son. "Six o'clock, Newt. Don't forget the time while you're... packing."

He smirked at them again and turned to leave the buidling with a nonchlant wave.

"What was that about?" Tina asked confused.

Newt had blushed a little. "Uhm. I think he guessed what... our actual living arrangements might have looked like these past months?"

Tina frowned and took a look around the appartment. It was nearly empty. But a few things stood out still... there was one of Newt's shirts hanging to dry in front of the fireplace and other pieces of his clothing neatly hung over the foot of the spare bed. That in itself spoke of some kind of intimate familiarity. Added with the fact that Newt's favourite kind of tea was placed on a shelf where it was accessibly for frequent use and Picket was currently perching on a perfectly Bowtruckle-sized swing installed by the window, he might have drawn some correct conclusions. And Perseus obviously knew from the reports that they'd been arrested together. On a Tuesday. Early in the morning. While having breakfast.

She chuckled. "And how scandalized do you think he might be by that?" 

New had climbed out of the suitcase by now. "I really couldn't say. But he didn't seem too... dismayed just now."

He walked over to his own case in the corner of the living room and opened it. "I'll be right back," he announced and vanished inside, only to return about a minute later with a grin and a small unobtrusive booklet in his hand. "I forgot to check it this morning, we were so busy with the boxes." He held it out to her. "Open it."

Tina took the booklet with a curious frown and opened it to the first page. It simply read in Queenie's swooping handwriting: " _We're safe now."_

"I thought you might like to see it in her own words," Newt spoke and wrapped her astounded form in his arms. "And you're going to see her in a few hours, love."

Tina could only nod in that moment. There was a bit of wetness running down her cheeks as she finally felt the massive relief sweep through her. She felt lighter, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her, and then couldn't stop giggling against his shoulder. ' _We're safe now.'  
_

"I'm so looking forward to leave here," she managed to say between her little hiccuped laughs.

 

Newt and Tina had finished packing up the Goldstein apartment (and running some last important errands) shortly after noon. They used their last few hours of complete privacy and alone-time for something quite more enjoyable than packing and storing boxes... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who was so shocked about the happenings in the last chapter: I'm so sorry! But you see now, everything has worked out in a way. So... we're actually going back to England next chapter. I hope you don't mind.   
> For more on the happenings inside the suitcase, have a look at [chapter 4](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22878891) of "A Lingering Desire". ;) 
> 
> Sidenote: As much as I do believe in police/Aurors doing their work correctly, back in the 1920s it might have been just a little bit easier (and common?) to make arrangements and agreements to get people out of a sentence, I think. It's not like they actually did something really bad (it's not a murder charge!), so I can definitey live with myself to have written this.
> 
> Your comments are always welcome and make my day! :)


	30. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina and the Scamander men return to England.

Beginning promptly at 6 o'clock in the evening they had flooed from MACUSA's Transportation Office straight to its counterpart at the Ministry of Magic in London. Mr. Graves and Madame Piquery had been there so see them off, and likely to make sure they'd actually leave the country as parleyed.

Theseus went first into the grate, followed by his father. Next came Tina, who nodded at the two MACUSA Officials in farewell, gripped her suitcase tightly and threw the Floo powder into the fire. "London!" she spoke loud and clearly and stepped into the green flames without a look back.

Newt was the last to leave New York City and took a short moment to speak.

"Uhm, thank you. For letting us go," he said to President Picquery and Mr. Graves, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

"We've owed the two of you still for your help with the Grindelwald incident, Mr. Scamander," Picquery said. "But that debt is paid with due interest now. Remember, should you step onto American soil again within the next three years, we will not hesitate to imprison you."

"Yes, I remember. Thank you again." Newt stepped up to the fireplace, ready to throw his handful of Floo powder into it.

"Mr. Scamander," Graves spoke up. Newt turned around again. "Best of luck to both of you. Tina is a fine Auror, make sure your brother keeps his promise to employ her."

Newt nodded sharply, threw the powder, named his destination and stepped into the flames.

He arrived in a cloud of smoke and soot, coughing more than usual. _International Floo is possibly quite worse than within the British Network,_ he mused and went about cleaning himself from the massive soot stains.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean is was quit late already and the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network Authority, International Travel Devision, in which they had arrived, was only sparsely occupied. A very stressed young wizard was standing next to the fireplace he'd just stepped out of, clutching a small clipboard with a piece of paper on it.

"Name?" the yound man asked him.

"Eh, Newt Scamander." The wizard looked at his list again, put a check somewhere and nodded.

"Right, you're the last one in from New York, then?"

"Yes, Twycross," Perseus said with an amused expression. "We're all here now, four passengers from New York."

The young man, Mr. Twycross, nodded again and then started off into the office opposite their fireplace, leaving them alone in the small room. Newt went up to Tina, who was still clutching her case and looking about curiously.

"Alright, should we leave, then?" he asked, a little confused as to why they were still standing about when they'd been wordlessly dismissed by the young Ministry employee.

"Nah, he still has to check our papers and close the connection," Theseus chuckled. "He should see that on his list soon and will come back for us." Just then Twycross ran out of the office again.

"Sorry, I still have to see some identification to make sure you're who you say you are," he spluttered as he came to a stop before them. Newt chuckled softly as he produced his papers (again... this identification business was getting rather ridiculous) to the quite embarrassed man. He let the four go again after thoroughly checking them over.

"Don't forget to close the connection," Theseus said to him as they left the room. "Otherwise you're getting the hang of it, Phil. See you next time!"

"Thank you, sir," a still embarrassed Phil Twycross mumbled and hurried back into the office, hopefully to close the Floo Connection to New York.

They left the room through a second door and walked down a short but typically dark Ministry corridor into a small lobby and waited for one of the lifts to arrive.

Tina chuckled. "Okay, I'm sorry, but who put a bumbling idiot like him on International Floo connection duty?" Tina asked with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "I mean... he's basically a security hazard, isn't he?"

"Calm down, Tina. You don't start work until next week," Perseus chuckled. "Twycross is filling in temporarily. He's new at the department and the only one who was more or less willing to cover the night shifts during Easter week when everyone else is on holiday. And there's a more senior employee around here somewhere..."

A lift arrived just then and they stepped inside to go down to the Atrium. Newt put down his case, took hold of one of the straps attached to the ceiling and wrapped his other arm tightly around Tina to keep her from falling. She was more used to the steady pace of MACUSA's lifts than the abrupt and direction-changing ones here at the Ministry. She smiled at him in thanks once the lift started moving.

"Level 8: The Atrium. Reception Area, Security Desks, Maintenance, Exits," the lift announced when the doors slid open again. They stepped out of the cage and into the Ministry's grand entrance hall. Tina admired it in wonder as they made their way to the other side of the mostly empty Atrium. (It was close to midnight on a public holiday, after all.)

They were marching through a high round hall with mostly dark tiled walls and polished hardwood floors. The high ceiling was a wonderful kind of blue, somewhat similar to his own coat, and had golden symbols moving all over it. The end of the hall from which they were coming was housing the lifts behind a golden door, as well as the Security Desks and Magical Maintenance Office to their left and right. There were many windows all around and as high up as Basement Level 1, looking down into the Atrium and the fountain in the middle of it.

"The Fountain of the Magical Brethren," Newt whispered to Tina as they walked past it. "Wizard and Witch, Centaur, Goblin and House-Elf, the five beings able to work with Magic." He looked up at the golden statues spouting water, where four of the five beings seemed to admire the other one. "Can't say that I completely agree with the way they are depicted... but wizardkind always thinks itself so much more superior than other beings." Tina chuckled.

They soon had arrived at the other end, entering a lower hall with many gilded fireplaces to the left and right, all burning with green flames. They went to the first available chimney on the right-hand side, the ones that were strictly for departure, while the ones on the left side were for arrivals only.

"You've used local Floo before, Tina?" his father asked. Tina nodded. "Okay, there's no powder neccessary in these grates, you just step in and say where you want to go."

"And where do I go exactly?" she inquired a little unsurely.

"Scamander Manor, of course. Where else?" Newt chuckled. Tina nodded at him and grinned in anticipation, stepped into the fireplace and named her destination.

 

* * *

 

She stepped out of a familiar fireplace coughing loudly and covered in soot, but at least she did _step_ out of it this time around. Floo was not exactly her favourite method of travel so far... being swallowed by flames and spit out again somewhere else just seemed too unnatural for her liking.

There was a high-pitched screech. "Teenie!" Then she was assaulted by a happily sobbing mess of pink and blonde, wrapped into a tight hug by her sister.

"Oh Queenie! Mercy Lewis, you have no idea how good it is to see you!" They clung to each other, both crying happy tears of reunion.

"Oh, I do," her sister answered and took a step back to study her, then sobbed again. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all that, Teen." Tina just smiled. _Anything to see you happy, sis_.

Behind them the fireplace roared up again and spat out a coughing Newt.

"Hello!" he greeted them with a broad smile. "Thank Paracelsus, you both made it over."

 _Both?_ It was then that she noticed Jacob (and Gracia) standing a few steps behind Queenie. She had been so caught up in seeing her sister after five days of worry, that she hadn't had eyes for anything else.

Jacob only waved in greeting, since Gracia had stepped forward already to receive both of them.

"Newton, Tina! Oh, it's so good to have you back!" She hugged Tina first, than Newt and stepped back again to have a look at them.

"How are you and what happened?" she inquired. "I got nothing but an owl from Perseus saying he had to go help you out with some legal matters in New York. And then Theseus was gone, too. No news for days, and today I have guests from America arriving at my doorstep with a rather frightening story about barely escaping the law!"

Just then Perseus appeared from the fire, more graceful than any of them before.

"We are quite alright, Mother," Newt said in answer and Tina nodded in agreement. They certainly were, now that she had her sister back and they were all safe and sound.

"Gracia, dear, why don't we move this over to the living room?" Perseus suggested, "I'm sure we all could do with some tea and a sandwich."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You've been gone for four days with barely a word, husband, and the first thing you do is order tea? Sometimes I don't believe you..." Gracia shook her head, but went to greet her husband anyway.

Newt insistently pulled Tina over into the living room, not in a mind to see whatever that greeting would entail. They were followed swiftly by the other two New Yorkers and moved to sit down on the living room couch.

"Newt," Jacob now finally had the chance to speak. He wrapped his friend in a bear hug. "Thanks man. For getting us out of the city when you did. I don't think I could have managed that on my own... even with all those instructions you've put in that box you left me."

Newt smiled awkwardly at the smaller man. "Uhm... you're welcome. I'm glad it all worked out."

"You were very lucky," Tina chuckled and sat down. "Newt had just gotten back from Arizona... you'd have been on your own else."

"Yeah, real lucky we were," Queenie agreed. "And sorry for closing the bank on ya like that!" Queenie giggled at the sight of Newt and Tina, both blushing heavily and softly chuckling in embarressment. No, Tina did not want her sister to walk in on them again like that.

"How have you been then? No trouble on the way here?" Newt inquired.

"No, it was all more or less smooth sailing. Queenie gets easily seasick, though," Jacob chuckled. "Hardest part might have been finding a place to dispa-, disappra-... to disappear from."

"'Disapparate', honey," Queenie corected him with a grin. "And yeah, the first day at sea was awful, but I managed even without using magic."

Just then, Perseus and Gracia joined them again, both carrying a tray of tea and sandwiches respectively. It may be close to midnight in England, but back in New York it was just going on dinner time. The new arrivals tucked in hungrily.

Tina knew it was the second day of Passover, but really... she had other troubles on her mind at the moment than being picky with the food that was offered to her. They had no actual home of their own right now but would be dependant on Newt and his family for a while. This was not the time to be strictly observant of the Passover traditions and restrictions. Queenie had apparently read her thoughts on that matter and nodded at her before she took a bite from her own sandwich. 

"So... Perseus tells me you've barely dodged prosecution for sending these two over here," Gracia said with a nod towards her sister when tea was distributed to all of them. "Anything else I should know?"

"Well," Tina said between bites, "we've been exiled for violating Rappaport's Law, that's having any form of relations with non-magical people."

Gracia sucked in a beath. "Oh Tina, that's -"

"No, it's okay, Gracia. Thanks to your husband and son it's 'only' exile for us. I'd rather go and live in England than spent time prison, you know." She smiled at Newt. "Just thought I should clarify that one more time for you, darling."

"Yes, thank you," he chuckled in reply, then turned serious again. "Uhm, we can't return to the States for at least three years, unless one of us fancies to get arrested and imprisoned immediately... That goes for you two as well," he said to Queenie and Jacob who nodded gravely.

"It was the best possible deal," Perseus added. "Otherwise Tina might have found herself in prison for the forseeable future and her sister would have become a fugitive of the law. and that's not something I could let happen... not for such a silly and absolutely solitary kind of law."

The Auror in Tina was about to protest, but she stopped herself. He was right: parts of Rappaport's Law really were... silly and outdated in many ways.

"I know why that law was written, Tina," Perseus continued. He must have seen her aborted attempt to speak. "And I know it made sense back then, but really in these modern days it's just silly to try keep wizardkind completely segragated from Muggles. I'm not saying let's come out of hiding, Merlin knows that would be a bad idea! But certain concessions should always be made if neccessary."

"Right... so, you are thrown out of the United States for the next three years at least," Gracia summed it up with a smile. "That's not so bad now, is it? You can always go and make yourself at home here in England."

_Yes, that is the plan..._

 

* * *

 

"Teenie, what are we going to do now?" Queenie asked her later that night. She had come knocking on the door to Tina's room not long after retiring for the night and crawled into her sister's bed to share it, just like they had done when they were so much younger and alone with no one but themselves.

"Well, our flat is packed up in boxes and stored down in my suitcase," she pointed out. "We also went through Jacob's flat and got a few more things we thought he'd might like to have here... "

"Yeah, but we got no jobs, Teen. And no money either to start fresh."

Tina turned on her side to look at the blonde. "For now we'll stay here at the Manor, sis, regroup and start planning for what's to come. I'm more than sure Gracia won't mind giving us a roof over our heads until we've got that figured out and settled. And well, I've got a job at the Ministry here if I want it. At least that's what Theseus said."

"Okay. What about Jacob, though? Won't he need papers to get a No-Maj job or something? All of us, in fact. And his bakery back in New York..."

"The bakery was fine when we left," Tina replied. "Henry's got it under control so far and the rest will have to be worked out in time. He knows that Jacob's gone to Europe for an 'urgent family matter' and that it could take a while." She paused for a moment. "As for the other matters... like I said, we'll have to start planning. I don't know what exactly is required to find work here as an immigrant, but Newt's father might be able to tell us and help us getting what we need, too."

Queenie nodded. "Okay... I just don't like living on someone else's dime and charity. We've had too much of that already after Ma and Dad passed."

_Yes, neither do I but right now it's all we can do._

Queenie nodded and continued. "There's the few savings we've had back at the Wizarding Bank, but I don't see how we're gonna get at that now. I'm wanted, you're exiled..."

"Actually, I made a complete withdrawal this morning and closed both our accounts. It's not much, but at least a little something," Tina chuckled at her sister's astounded face. "Queenie, stop worrying for now, okay? You're exhausted, I'm exhausted. I don't know enough to answer all your questions, yet. Just know that we've got friends here, and they'll help us in any way they can. Or do you see Gracia chucking us out of her house any time soon?"

Queenie giggled. "No. She's actually thrilled to have the house filled up again... You're like a daughter to her already, did you know that?"

Tina chuckled dismissively, "I know that she likes me because Newt likes me."

"No... she likes you for who you are. But she loves you because Newt loves you, and because you obviously love him back."

"Same difference."

"Stop it, you know it's not. I couldn't get much out of her husband though, he's got strong Occlumency skills."

"Why do you think that is?" Tina chuckled. "He's a high-ranking man at the British Ministry of Magic, Queenie. Now go to sleep, please. It's been a long and exhausting day." Tina had just turned on her back again and tried to get comfortable when Queenie giggled again.

"Oh, I can see why you're _so_ exhausted, Teen. The Wizarding Bank of America was not the only one open today, huh?" _Seriously?_

"Merlin! You're unbelievable, Queenie!" But her sister just continued giggling even more. "Stay out of my head, will you? Or a least far away from that kind of memory." _Please, that's PRIVATE. Capital letters, Queenie!_

"Sure will do, sis, but it's not you I was getting it from, you know."

 _What?_ "What do you mean?"

Queenie giggled again. "Your fiancé might just relive some nice memories of his own next door. Don't worry," she hurried to assure, "I've shut him out for now. That one glimpse was more than enough for me."

Tina shook her head exasperated and thankfully could hide her blush in the darkness of the room. "Please go to sleep now." _And I really didn't need to know what Newt is up to in his own room, thank you very much._ That was neither her nor Queenie's business.

"He was dreaming, Teen. He's been asleep for a while now," her sister informed her with another giggle.

Newt was dreaming of her? That was honestly unexpected... and kind of sweet. Even if it might possibly be a dream of the less innocent sort. It wasn't like she didn't have those herself from time to time...

"Nighty night, sis," her sister interrupted her thoughts. Likely on purpose.

"Sorry. Good night, Queenie."

 

* * *

 

She slept in late the next morning, though Tina did not wake up on her own. There was loud crash and a few bangs in the room next to hers. Then she heard Newt muttering something and exclaim "Absolutely not!" before there was another crash.

She got out of bed, Queenie had apparently gotten up and left already, and wrapped a dressing gown over her shoulders before she approached the small door that connected her room to Newt's. It was obviously a new addition, since during their last visit there definitely had been no second door in his room to connect it with the one next to it.

She was still two steps away from the doorway when something small and black slid through the gap underneath it and looked at her with big startled eyes. Tina caught the Niffler quickly before he could make it entirely through and make a run for it again.

"Gotcha," she grinned and held the creature with both hands in front of her. "Sorry pal, no luck this time. Behave and there might be another shiny Knut in it for you."

She opened the door to Newt's room and couldn't help but laugh at the state of it. It was a complete mess: furniture overturned, bookshelves emptied, a vase of flowers knocked over and shattered. Newt was just now busy finding his way out from underneath one of the heavy curtains that had been pulled down from the windows.

"Good morning," Tina greeted him with a chuckle.

"Tina!" he exclaimed startled and looked at her with wide eyes. He had managed to find his way up for air and rather looked as if he'd just decided that the brown and yellow brocade curtain had better use as a cloak. He looked adorably disshevelled, too.

"I've got something you might be looking for," she grinned and gripped the Niffler a little tighter when he tried to escape her hands again. "Caught him just as he made his way over into my room."

Newt groaned. "I must have forgotten to lock the door into the shed last night... he jumped right out and at me when I opened the case this morning, that little pest." He threw the fabric off and walked over to her, gripping the Niffler tightly by the feet. "Sometimes you're really more trouble than you're worth, you know that?" he told him, than proceeded to shake him out and tickle his pouch for good measure. It looked like he had raided Newt's living quarters in the case again.

"And yet, I just can't get rid of you," Newt continued and grinned at the creature with its wide and innocent-looking eyes sniffling at the loss of its loot.

That was the exact moment when the door opened to reveal Gracia Scamander. She took one look about the room, mustered Tina, then her son and the creature in his hand and let out a long-suffering deep sigh "Again?"

"He can't help it," Newt chuckled. "There's too many shiny things in this house. I'll just-" Newt grasped for his wand, only it wasn't there. "Eh, must be somwhere under those curtains, I think..." He moved over to try and find the wooden stick under a heap of brocade, struggling Niffler still in hand.

Gracia chuckled. "Can't you try and summon it with your wandless magic?"

Newt stopped on his way and looked at his mother with a frown. "Why would I?"

"Well, you must have spend quite some time learning it, so why not use it, too?"

Newt looked a little uncertain, but then moved his hand and murmured " _Accio!_ " and his wand slipped out from underneath the fabric and into his hand.

Gracia applauded with a grin. "Where did you learn it anyway? I didn't have a mind to ask last time."

"Uhm, when I was travelling through Africa some years back. Some of the older wizards and witches there, particularly those in the remote villages, are very distrustful of wands, so I just learned to adept I guess... A teacher from Uagadou took some time and taugh me how to... work without using a wand."

"Quite impressive. Why don't you use it more often, dear? I don't think I've ever seen you do that kind of thing until last Christmas."

Newt looked a little uncomfortable. "Too much attention. People seem to think one needs to be powerful to master it but really, once you've understood how to channel the flow... I still feel more comfortable with a wand in my hand, though."

He waved said wand about the room, murmering " _Reparo!_ " as he did so. It only took a few seconds until the room was in it's usual pristine condition again.

Tina had moved over to the bed and put Newt's suitcase up on it. "Better put him back in here before he goes on another pilfering mission," she chuckled.

"Yes, please," Gracia agreed wholeheartedly and watched as Newt stuffed the Niffler unceremoniously back into the depths of his case. "I really do prefer my jewellery to be in it's case or on myself, not inside a Niffler's pouch."

"There, done." Newt shut the case again and locked it magically to stop anything from escaping.

"Uhm. Was there a reason to come by, Mother?"

"Oh, you mean aside from the ruckus you've been making up here? Your father was quite alarmed down in the library." Tina chuckled at Newt's blushing face. "I've actually wanted to get you down in time for breakfast... we've been waiting for you. So come on, no need to dress up. It's just the family, after all."

Tina felt something undescribable glow up inside her. Gracia had quite possibly just called Jacob and Queenie _family_.

 

* * *

 

This very late Saturday morning breakfast was indeed a family affair. Tina and Newt had followed Gracia down the stairs and went on into the breakfast room, where Perseus, Queenie and Jacob were already waiting and sipping their preferred drinks from the fine china cups. And apart from Jacob neither of them was exactly dressed to go out or receive guests yet.

"Morning. Have you slept well?" Persues, wearing green dressinggown over pyjamas, questioned them with a raised eyebrow. "That was quite the riot up there."

"My Niffler," Newt, in pyjamas but without a dressinggown (or curtain cloak), explained while getting himself a cup of tea, "didn't quite stay where he was supposed to."

Queenie in her fluffy pink robe started to giggle.

"What's so funny about that?" Tina asked as she sat down across from her sister. "I barely managed to get my hands around him before there was even more damage done. That Niffler is quite effective when it comes to that... for being such a small thing." And she felt pretty good about catching him just in time, who knew what that sniffling little creature would have accomplished if let loose in a house like this.

Queenie was still giggling madly for some reason.

"Yes, you're really a natural when it comes to handling my Niffler," Newt agreed and settled down next to her, handing her a cup of hot coffee, black with a bit of sugar. It smelled divine. "And I think he quite likes the attention you give him... maybe even a little to much. He's taken quite a shining to you recently."

Tina was just about to return something about buying his affections, when Queenie burst out laughing, barely able to keep it under control when every eye in the room turned on her.

"Sorry," she wheezed, "sorry. It's just..." She giggled again. "I get quite the hilarious running commentary from Mr. Scamander."

Tina was confused, since Queenie had stopped calling Newt 'Mr. Scamander' at about the same time they'd gotten engaged. But then she remembered that Newt was not the only 'Mr. Scamander' present.

Perseus sat at the head of the table and looked at Queenie with a smirk. "So you really are a Legilimens, then. I wasn't entirely sure."

Queenie nodded. "Don't worry, I usually try not to listen. But that just was too amusing to resist..." She giggled again.

"Running commentary on what exactly?" Tina asked, still a bit confused. Niffler's were not usually that amusing. Newt next to her didn't seem to fare much better.

Queenie exchanged a look with Perseus before explaining. "I think it all started with _'Was that a euphemism?'_ when Newt said his Niffler didn't stay where it was supposed to... "

Well, that wasn't much of an explanation, was it? What could 'Niffler' possibly be used as a euphemism for to make her laugh like that? _Wait a minute... Oh!_

Tina felt herself blush slightly. Yes, that would have made their conversation seem destinctly more inappropriate. She'd have expected something like this from her sometimes quite immature little sister, but from Perseus Scamander?

"Really?" she asked exasperated and raised a questioning eyebrow at her future father-in-law. "We _were_ talking about the actual creature here."

He didn't seem even remotely ashamed of it and smirked into his tea cup when Newt to her left emitted an embarrassed groan. _Seems like he just got it, too._

"That's really immature," he rebuked them, though the crimson blush high in his cheeks took the severity out of it. "Please don't ever make those kinds of insinuations again."

Perseus mustered his son for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Sorry, I just assumed... never mind."

"You shouldn't assume," Newt mumbled, then got up from the table to get himself something to eat from the small buffet laid out for them, turning his back on everyone in the room.

Tina knew what had been assumed... and she didn't blame Perseus. They had been living together for months after all, more or less unsupervised. And yes, they were not exactly unfamiliar with each other, either. But still, there were things they deliberately hadn't done yet and Newt obviously didn't feel comfortable with people thinking otherwise... a matter of propriety.

It was at exactly that moment Gracia chose to enter the room with a vase of freshly cut daffodils and found... a slightly more tense scene than expected.

"What happened here?" she asked with a frown.

"Nothing, Mother. We're all fine." Newt's tone of voice didn't sound too convincing, though.

Thankfully it didn't take long for the atmosphere to grow more cheerful again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, our favourite group of four is officially in England now!  
> I tried to keep it a bit lighter in this one after the drama in the last two chapters... we all deserve a bit of humour after that. 
> 
> Next chapter will have a bit more planning and family stuff, most importantly the Easter Brunch.


	31. A New Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family gathers for Gracia's Easter Brunch, plans are made and work needs to be done.

There was a lovely brunch on Easter Sunday that would last well into the afternoon. Tina and Newt had left the house through the French windows in the living room, crossing the stone terrasse and walking down the steps to arrive in the garden. Since the weather was a very good one for early in April, a table had been set up under a canvas tent on the lawn behind the house. It reminded Tina just a little of the first dinner she and Newt had had in his suitcase, a dining table underneath a canvas roof... only this set-up looked so much more grand and sophisticated. 

Here they were surrounded by well-tended flowerbeds, now green and colourful with daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in bloom. Even the fountain at the far end of the lawn had come to life again. A large round basin with water running down in soft cascades from three levels of smaller fancily carved stone basins in its midst. Some of the smaller bushes dotted about had been decorated with painted eggs and ribbons.

There was birdsong in the air and Tina could hear the sound of bickering Hippogriffs somewhere off behind the high boxwood hedges surrounding the garden area of the Manor. It was springtime, a time for new beginnings.

The table they approached was already filled with all kinds of lovely food. There were cross buns and hare-shaped pastries, a dish full of chocolate eggs and Simnel cake among other more normal breakfast and luncheon dishes such as toast and jams and small sandwiches and scones to accompany the tea. 

Theseus and Arabella had joined them of course on this holiday, and new introductions were made between Jacob, Queenie and them. Her sister had a hard time concealing her initial dislike of Newt's brother for the accusations he had made at Christmas, but at some point during the day that dislike seemed to vanish and be replaced with something a little more friendly. And she seemed to get on very well with Arabella, the two were sitting next to each other and spend quite some time talking among themselves.

Brunch was a quite lively affair, with a few interruptions every now and then in the form of enchated paper animals either dropping willow catkin twigs on them (a small flock of birds) or stealing things from the table (several rabbits and hares). Gracia was the one who had arranged for those small interruptions and was giggling silently on her place at the table while watching three grown men chase after a paper rabbit that had stolen a spoon from Arabella. It took them a while to figure out that they were indeed in the possession of wands and could just summon the spoon back to them.

Newt shared a few stories of his travels to Arkansas and Arizona, Jacob expressed his admirations of the baked goods (neither of which were from his own hand, sadly). Tina listened to Theseus talking about some recently closed cases from work, which seemed to bore the others around the table immensely but had her listen intently. She would soon start to work with the people he talked about, after all. She better got all the information she could.

 

* * *

 

"So Newt," his mother started with a chuckle when everyone else was otherwise occupied, "it seems that you and Tina are going to settle down in Britain after all, hm?"

Newt chocked on the sip of orange juice he'd been drinking and coughed discreetly before answering. "What makes you say that, Mother?"

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Well, you _are_ banished from New York for the next few years and have chosen to return to England. Tina is going to work for the Ministry's Auror Office, her sister and Jacob will likely settle down here as well once they get married... Of course I wouldn't put it past you to suddenly decide that Brazil was a more appealing place to live, but I don't see that happening to be honest."

Newt pondered her words. Yes, they were back in Britain for now and had left New York behind. But so many things had happened in the past week, so many things had changed. Right now he didn't know exactly what their current plans for the future even were. He only knew what parts of their plans were certainly not on the agenda anymore...

"We haven't talked about any new plans yet apart from getting here and getting Jacob and Queenie settled in," Newt replied to her after a moment, staring at his glass while getting the next words out. "In fact, our plans for the future have come to nothing. There's no wedding now, no flat for us in a quieter part of the city, no career for Tina in New York..."

She'd have to start completely anew here in Britain... if his brother was still willing to give her a job that was. She would probably want to focus on that now more than on wedding plans or building a life together. Tina loved her job, she lived for it. And he was not willing to take that from her for his own selfish reasons.

"No wedding? Newt, you may have had to give up on nuptials in New York City, but there's no reason to say you can't have your wedding here. I'm sure there's still enough time to get someone from the Ministry to perform a ceremony some time in May."

Newt really wasn't in a mood to talk about those kind of plans right now, and certainly not without any kind of input from Tina. Also, there were other more important things to do at the moment. Getting everyone settled for example, make sure they got good jobs and could start building a life of their own. That was so much more important now than planning a wedding. And he certainly wouldn't let his mother do the honours.

"I won't let you plan my wedding, mum," he told her.

"You know those plans have already been made and thoroughly discarded, dear," Gracia chuckled. "But seriously, talk to Tina about it. You could have it here in the garden. Just a small affair, no other guests than family and friends... even Jacob would be able to be there without eyebrows being raised. And that is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"What is exactly what he wanted?" Tina asked as she came up to them and plopped into the chair next to Newt. She had been sitting with his brother and father for the past half hour, listening to their tales from the Ministry.

"Oh, err... hey," Newt greeted her awkwardly and not at all conspicuous. Tina frowned.

"We were just talking about the wedding, dear," his mother explained with a broad smile. "The one you had planned for New York may be off now, but you could still have a small ceremony here at the Manor, if you like. We should be able to arrange something nice at short notice, you see..." She looked pointedly at Newt. "I'll leave you two to talk about it."

And with that his mother got up from her seat and left them to themselves. _Wonderful._ Newt had actually hoped to not have this conversation here and now, in earshot of everyone else. He glanced over to Tina, who looked deeply in thought already.

"Tina... there's no hurry to make any decisions. I know that this is the last thing on your mind right now, what with the transfer and settling in and all that. It can wait until everything's set up."

"It's okay, Newt," she replied with a soft smile. "I haven't really thought about our own plans all that much in the last few days-"

"And I completely understand that," he hurried to assure her. "I haven't either. My mother just dropped this on me out of nowhere, I'm afraid."

"But she's right, Newt. We should talk about it."

Newt took a look at her and realised that she seemed just as uncomfortable as he was discussing these kind of things in front of other people. "Not here though," he said and stood to offer her his arm to take. "Let's take a walk?"

Tina nodded and threaded her arm through his and together they took off for a stroll around the garden.

"Her idea about having the ceremony here didn't sound too bad," Tina said once the were past the fountain, away from the others, away from prying ears.

"You really want to get married that soon?" he wondered.

"Of course I do, Newt. Why wouldn't I?"

"I just... thought you'd like to focus on your work for a while now. You'd have to start all over again here, make a name for yourself..."

"And why shouldn't that name be Scamander instead of Goldstein?" she asked with a chuckle. "It's wonderful that you're offering to stand by and let me get my career back on track, but it's not what I want, Newt. I already told you that I don't want to wait years to get married to you. And I know that you don't actually want that either."

"That... might be true," he conceeded. It was definitely true, but he had resolved not to be selfish in this. Tina had given up her entire life just a few short days ago... time was the least he could give her.

Tina smiled. "We could try to throw something together, May is still a month away and we didn't want anything big or fancy in the first place. And I think all the people we'd like to have there are already around, right?"

"Yes, I think so. Unless there's someone else from your side...?" Tina thought for a short moment but shook her head no.

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Well then, I guess we'll look into that... go to the Wizengamot Administration Services, register for an available date in May and get married here at the Manor."

Tina chuckled. "That sounds like a good plan, Mr. Scamander. Any ideas for after that, though? Because I don't think we'd like to live under your parents roof once we're actually married."

"Uhm..." Yes, he did have an idea. More than an idea actually, but he wasn't ready to share that yet. "I uh... do have a plan for our honeymoon, actually."

"Oh, there's gonna be a honeymoon?"

"Of course there's gonna be a honeymoon," he chuckled, "that's not optional, Tina. Back in New York I had everything worked out already concerning time off from work for you and means of transportation..." He grimaced. "I may have to talk to Theseus now."

That conversation with Graves had been horrid enough, putting in a request for Tina to get time off from work so they could have a honeymoon. His smirk had spoken volumes when he gave his assent. Newt did not look forward to having a similar talk with his older brother... though now that Tina knew about it, maybe she would do the requesting herself.

"And where would we be going for this honeymoon?" she pried further.

"That's a surprise, my love."

"Okay, but... we still need a place to live afterwards."

Newt nodded slowly. "Yes, but I think a Mr. and Mrs. Newt Scamander might easily find a place once they're married. Could we put it off until then?"

He felt a bit uncomfortable asking this of her. Tina was the kind of person that liked things planned out and there were enough uncertain variables in her life as it was right now. Not only did Newt have an idea for their living situation, but an actual plan. A plan that still needed quite a bit of work done, but it would/could hopefully be an acceptable answer to her question. It was supposed to be a surprise though, and quite frankly he had no idea how to explain to Tina what he had done on a silly impulse quite a while ago... she'd probably think him mad. Silly and insanely mad. Better to wait with it until after they were actually married... just in case.

_Please stop asking about this. I'm not ready to tell you yet...  
_

She mustered him curiously for a moment but then nodded. "Okay, darling. As long as we're out of the Manor for our wedding night I'm good. And I guess there's always your suitcase if privacy is needed upon our return."

Newt chuckled and felt his face grow hot. He envied her a little. Tina could so freely talk about these things without blushing (too much), whereas he turned a dark crimson just thinking about their wedding night... or anything along those lines, really. That reaction still persisted, even though by now they had spent quite a number of times thoroughly exploring each other. Well, in any fashion but one. They had agreed a while ago to leave that one particular act of pleasure for their wedding night. Lately it was getting harder to withstand the growing want and need though... and for both of them. Which was the reason that had him react so badly to his father's implications yesterday morning.

"Hey, did I say something wrong?" Tina looked at him with concerned eyes.

"Wha-? Sorry, no. I was just lost in thought for a bit."

"Thoughts concerning... our wedding night?" she teased.

"More or less. What gave it away?"

"Your quite impressive blush, for one. The sun is not intense enough yet for that to be a sunburn, darling."

"I don't burn that easily... not anymore," he chuckled. "But no, we'll definitely not be around the Manor for that. Just... please let me surprise you with it, alright?"

"Alright. Let's have a wedding, first."

Newt nodded. "Yes, let's have a wedding first. A fair warning though: my mother will probably want to have a say in the plannings... she'll probably present us with a fully planned out wedding the minute we have a date."

"Oh, she's gonna have to take it up with Queenie then. You know how much fun she already had throwing in ideas the first time around, she won't want to miss out on the second time! Especially with this," she gestured to the Manor and spacious garden behind them, "to work with."

Newt groaned. Between the dazzling Queenie Goldstein and his mother with a penchant for planning events it was quite justified to get a little concerned. "So long as it's still going to be a small and simple thing in the end..."

Tina laughed. "I think bride and groom might get a veto-right for the too outrageous idea..."

Newt felt a wave of warmth spreading through him. Not the kind that came with a blush, but the kind that came with an unquenchable soppy smile on his face. _Bride and Groom..._ that would be them. _  
_

 

* * *

 

Theseus took her aside some time in the late afternoon, when Newt and Gracia had gone off to look after the Hippogriffs for a while and Arabella and Queenie were caught up in conversation. Tina didn't think she'd seen Arabella behave quite as animatedly beforeas in her sister's company . "Miss Goldstein, a word please?"

Yes, they still called each other in a formal way although everyone else in the family referred to her as Tina by now. Gracia had raised her eyebrow at hearing that, but hadn't commented on it yet. Tina hadn't really made up her mind yet whether or not she had forgiven Theseus Scamander for his treatment of her at Christmas... though getting her out of a prison sentence and offering her a job in exile had done quite a lot to cancel out some of the lingering resentment. _Maybe. Soon-ish.  
_

"Sure." Tina nodded and followed Newt's brother back over the lawn and terrasse into the living room of the Manor. The French window doors here had been left open all day and the light taupe curtains were swaying softly in the warm afternoon breeze. In front of the fireplace Theseus turned around to face her again with a serious expression, which meant this would very likely be work-related.

"I've had a meeting with the Head Auror yesterday, Miss Goldstein. Mr. Ogden is quite happy to get a new Auror for his team, and one with experience at that. But there's a small problem to be taken care of before you can start working."

"And what would that be, Mr. Scamander?" Tina asked, even though she already had a notion of his answer.

"You'll have to go through the Final Exams again to obtain a license for Britain," he explained, looking very apologetic. "It's not your field experience that is in doubt here, but the fact that you have no experience with British Law yet. There are quite a few differences, as you are probably quite aware of by now."

"I'm gonna have to retake the theoretical exams, then? Magical Jurisprudence and all that jazz?"

Theseus nodded gravely. "Yes, I'm afraid so. You'll have to go and study again."

Tina nodded in understanding, since had expected something like that. It would only be logical to have her get acquainted with the details of British Law before sending her out onto the streets to investigate and arrest.

"When would those Final Exams take place next?" she asked, hoping that it wouldn't be too long. She liked being an indepedent person, and having to rely on her fiancé and his family for basically everything for any extended amount of time just was not her definition of that. She wanted and needed to have a job. And she'd do what was neccessary to get it back.

"That would be the last Friday in May," Theseus answered hesitantly. "This year it's the 25th I think."

"Is there any chance I can take part in those?" Tina inquired after a short pause. End of May would give her more than six weeks to catch up on the Theoreticals... if she spend that time concentrating fully on those studies, she should be able to make it.

Theseus frowned at her though. "You'd have to study the entire three-year curriculum neccessary for the theoretical exams in six weeks. Would you be able to manage that?" He didn't sound very convinced, but Tina was willing to give it a try.

"Well, there's not much else I have to do at the moment, is there?" she replied with a raised eyebrow. "I'm unemployable until I take those exams, so I want to get them over with as soon as possible. And you forget, Mr. Scamander, that I've already passed similar exams once. It's only a matter of knowing the differences from American to British Law. I do think six weeks might be enough for that."

Theseus mustered her, looking somewhat impressed by her intent determination. "I'll see what I can do for you. But mind, you'll have to take the _entire_ exam with the other Aurors-in-training. Theoretical and Practical."

Tina smirked. "I think I can manage with my few years of actual field experience," she said confidently. Looking back and remembring her own Practical Examinations at MACUSA seven years ago, those were quite a breeze to manage with what she knew and could do now.

Newt's brother nodded. "Well, okay then. I'll speak with the Examiners and get you registered for the next exams... and request a copy the study material for the full three-year training for you to go over. You can expect an owl from me some time next week." He turned to leave the house again, but hesitated.

"You are aware that I will be your surperior once you work at the Ministry, right?" Theseus asked.

Tina chuckled. "I am well aware of that, yes. Though I do believe that a normal Auror like myself would not have much reason to get into regular or extensive contact with the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. I'd refer to the Head Auror first for any problems I might have."

"Even when the Head of Department is to be your brother-in-law?"

Tina felt a little offended at that implication. She might use this family connection to get the job, but she won't go running to Theseus whenever she had some kind of problem at work. That was not her style. "Especially then, Mr. Scamander. And I would prefer the Head of Department to treat his sister-in-law the same as any other Auror under his direction," she replied a little more sharply.

Theseus nodded again. "Then I shall do so, Miss Goldstein. But be aware that it might be your _colleagues_ who treat future Auror Porpentina Scamander a little differently. That last name could ring a bell with them."

Tina smiled. "Shouldn't take long for them to find out that I'm more than just a name and very much an Auror in my own right."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. You are a feisty American after all." He winked at her and left the room with a chuckle.

And this time Tina didn't even feel offended at being called a 'feisty American' by Theseus Scamander.

She returned to the garden, where Newt and Jacob just told Arabella about some of their more illegal adventures in New York... this one involved Newt's Niffler in a jewellery store and the No-Maj police of New York.

Tina watched him secretly as he talked to his sister-in-law, admired the way the sunlight caught in his hair and brought out the coppery undertones in it, until a certain kind of smile spread on his lips when he noticed her staring and waved her over to join them and include her in his tales.

 _I'll gladly bind myself to this man_ , she thought on her way. _Him and no other.  
_

 

Two days later, the Tuesday after Easter week, they flooed to the Ministry and took a lift up to Level 2 for the Wizengamot Administration Services. There an ancient witch, small and shrivelled with grey-white hair pulled tightly back into a bun, registered them for intended marriage. It was a lengthy process that included the verification and duplication of various documents and certificates. But by the end of it they had a date for their nuptials: June 3rd, exactly six months after their engagement.

The same day a package arrived for her, carried by not just one but two huge barn owls. Theseus had sent over her study materials and a confirmation for registration to the Auror Final Exams on Friday, May 25th 1928\. She had started tearing into the papers immediately, fuelled by cups of coffee and an assortment of cookies Newt had brought her with a grin. He was and always would be a caretaker.

Upon seeing her perched in one of the armchairs in the library and surrounded by massive amounts of documents, Perseus was more than happy to clear his large wooden desk for her so she could study more comfortably for the next weeks. Tina accepted his offer gladly, already feeling a tense knot forming in her neck.

"I shouldn't bring work home with me anyway," Perseus said with a grin and gathered a few folders of seemingly confidential documents from the drawers and moved to vacate the room. "Oh, by the way: You never saw these, alright?" Tina let him go with a chuckle... after all, she was not an Auror for the Ministry yet.

From that day on Tina spent the longest part of her days bent over paper, taking notes, reading up on procedures, asking questions whenever either Perseus or Theseus were around and available. She was determined to pass this exam, very determined indeed.

Every now and then though, she indulged her sister and Newt's mother in a bit of wedding planning during her breaks, going over whatever it was they had dreamed up together in her absense. It had started out quite absurdly, but slowly and surely they were getting somewhere with it. Queenie was a little sad though not to have her proposed white doves included.

 

* * *

 

Newt was busy writing up some of his study notes on Thunderbirds when Jacob made his way down the stairs into his case.

"Hello Jacob," he greeted his friend and leaned back in his chair.

"Hey Newt!" Jacob exclaimed and took a look around. "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"

"Nothing important, no. Just though I'd use all this free time and write up my study notes from Arizona. I didn't have much of a mind for that when I came back." He chuckled, thinking back on those eventful days barely three weeks back.

At the moment Tina was quite busy studying for the Auror Final Exams she had to take again, sitting in solitude down in the library to go over her papers and take notes. Since Newt didn't think it wise to go and divert her attentions from that, it left him with more than enough time to start revising his book for the next edition. The chapter on Thunderbirds was the first to be rewritten of course, since his time with the beasts in Arizona had yielded quite a few more interesting observations to include.

"Right, uhm. Anything I could help with?" Jacob asked with a chuckle that seemed slightly out of place.

Newt mustered him for a moment. "Anything _I_ could help with?" he asked in return. He had a feeling that Jacob had something on his mind that bothered him... he was behaving slightly off, too casual and bright even for his usual self.

Jacob sighed and rubed a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm too obvious to read, huh?"

Newt chuckled and shook his head. "No, only when you're behaving this strange. What is it?"

Jacob sat down on a box in the corner next to Newt's desk. "I need something to do, Newt," he explained with a chuckle. "I mean, soo far it's been a great holiday, you know, getting pampered and served in such a luxurious house for like two weeks now, but... there's only so long I can go on doing nothing. And there's nothing for me to do... your house-elves do all the cooking and caretaking around here and get offended when you ask to help them. I can't go out find work until my papers are processed, which Perseus says might take two more weeks at least, Queenie has stuck to Gracia planning the wedding for you guys and that's really not my kind of thing.So I thought I might try my luck with you, since Tina is always busy down in the library nowadays, but looks like you've found stuff to do too."

Newt listened to what his friend had to say, and he could understand him perfectly. He'd felt the same back in New York, before he'd finally gone and asked if it was okay for him to go out on a field trip again... that feeling of having too much free time on your hand when all you wanted to do was to keep your hands occupied.

"Actually... there is something you might be able to help me with," he admitted hesitantly. He needed a second opinion, another set of eyes to take a look... and possibly someone to assist if Jacob was interested.

"Really?"

"Yes, but it's something of a secret, Jacob. We'd have to keep it quiet."

"You're getting me curious now, pal. What is it you want my help with?" The look on his face was a mixture of excitement and doubt, but he was open to hearing about it.

Newt grinned sheepishly. He hadn't shown or told anyone yet, so Jacob would be the first to actually find out. "I'll show you," he said and moved to leave the case. "Come on, we'll need to apparate. It's too far to walk."

They got their jackets and left the house to 'go out for a bit', no questions were asked. Newt disapparated them as soon as they left the Charm's perimeter and a few seconds later they stood in a green landscape of rolling hills and dark green forests. In front of them rose an old but lovely stone cottage.

Jacob took a curious look around. "It's nice here. Where are we?"

"Not too far from Fishpond Bottom," Newt answered him with an awkward grin.

The man loked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That a real name?"

"Yes," Newt nodded. "Get used to it, you might come visit here more often in the future."

"What do you mean?" The baker looked thoroughly confused now.

Newt took a few steps forwards and opened the wooden gate that had been set into the low stonewall surrounding the garden. He looked back at Jacob and gestured to follow him.

"I own this place," he told his friend once he had caught up with him. " And if Tina is willing, we might go and live here after we're married."

Jacob stared at him. "Are you serious? This... is yours?"

Newt nodded. "Yes. I've done a bit of repairs on it already, but it still needs a bit of work done to be entirely habitable. I could need a bit of help with that, you see, getting it ready in time for the wedding." He grinned at his friend. "Interested?"

Jacob chuckled. "Let's take a look."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some interaction between Newt and Jacob on their own! There will be a bit more of that in the next chapter as well ;) 
> 
> Inspirational pictures for the lovely Manor Garden:  
>    
> And of course you already know the kind of cottage we're talking about:  
> 
> 
>    
>  _I'm currently a little incapacitated by a writer's block... Finishing chapter 33 was quite the fight already, 34 is nothing but incoherent scenes of various lengths and 35 has only bullet points so far. Any tipps on how to get the creative juices flowing again? This is bugging me to no end :(_


	32. Assessments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a house to finish, a wedding to plan and an exam to pass.

Jacob and Newt were out all day. Apparently Mr. Kowalski was not just a skilled baker and cook, he also knew a thing or two about home repair. Which came in very handy today.

Newt had done his best in the past two weeks, bringing the old and disused cottage back into a more habitable state with all manners of Repairing and Fixing Charms. The windows were whole again, the roof patched up and not slightly caved in anymore, and the plants and creatures that had started to make a home in the walls, ceilings and floors had been relocated to somewhere better suited.

Jacob took a curious look around as they made a tour through the small house. The ground floor was divided into two large rooms, a kitchen on the right side and a living room on the left with a small hallway between them. Here the stairs went up to the first floor, where a larger bedroom and two smaller rooms could be found. _Maybe_ , _possibly_ one or both of those might be turned into a nursery in the future... _perhaps_. That topic was as of yet still undiscussed between them.

Jacob chuckled when they had finished the short tour of the cottage he'd bought on an impulse when Tina told in so many words that him she could picture living here. 

"You seem to have a grasp on things here, Newt. Why do you even need my help? I mean, you can do most things by yourself with your magic, what do you need a No-Maj for?"

Newt grinned sheepishly and looked around the house again. "I need a second opinion, mostly. I'm a man who spent a lot of his adult life living happily in a wooden shack inside a suitcase and the occasional cheap boarding house. I don't think I'm the best judge on what can be considered a suitable condition for uhm... a family home. If it has four walls and a roof on top to keep out wind and rain, I'd call it perfectly habitable, but that's probably not all that Tina would be looking for."

Jacob chuckled. "Probably not, no. She might be a practical kind of gal, but even those like a bit of comfort... like a functioning bathroom. That definitely needs some attention and there's not even running water in here." 

Newt nodded. He had planned to turn this old cottage into a presentable and livable state in time for their wedding and present it as a kind of wedding gift surprise to Tina. If she'd be agreeable to live here, they could decide and work on all the smaller things by themselves... furniture and what ever else was neccessary to turn a house into a comfortable home. Tina should definitely have a say in that if it was supposed to be _her_ home as well.

Together Newt and Jacob made a list on what needed to be done still, talked through a few changes around the house that Newt had had in mind, and made plans on how and when to start working. They left a few hours later and returned to the manor with plans to return the next day and start on the finer things of returning an almost-ruin to its former glory.

 

In the following weeks half of their day, if not all of it, was now often spent at Fishpond Bottom, replacing old floor boards, repairing and updating the kitchen appliances, installing an actual bathroom inside the house... Newt and Jacob worked together quite well, not only depending on magic but also simple manual labour to get things done.

"I'm gonna ask Queenie to marry me," Jacob stated out of the blue one Wednesday afternoon. "You know, for real this time and not just in my head for her to see."

Newt grinned down at him from where he stood on a ladder to work at the ceiling. "That's wonderful news, Jacob. When do you want to ask her?"

"Sooner rather than later I think, but... I wanna wait with the actual gettin' married business until I'm somewhat on my feet again, you know? Have some kind of steady income and a place to live. I'd feel bad if I couldn't provide at least that for my wife."

He nodded. "Well, I'm sure it won't be long now until your papers are through. Do you want to open up a bakery of your own or find work with someone else for now?"

Jacob took a moment to answer, focusing on putting some new plaster on the livingroom wall instead. "I honestly don't know yet. First I need to take care of the business in New York, close it down and sell it I guess... It would be silly to keep the bakery if I can't go back there, you know. Your dad is helping with that, though. He's got some kind of contact over there, a lawyer who's gonna look into that and act on my behalf. He's a real good guy, your dad."

"I guess he is," Newt conceeded after a pause. "We... haven't really had the best of relationships though... at least not until last Christmas."

"Really? I can't imagine that to be honest. I mean, he's a good person, quite funny at times. Maybe a little stern-looking in his work get-up but you know... there's different man underneath that."

Newt had stopped his work now and thought over Jacob's words. Is this what other people saw in his father? A funny, good person underneath a strict exterior? To Newt he'd always been more the Ministry Employee, strict and stern, judging his every decision in life. Also taunting and teasing his youngest son for being different than him (and his older son), for having other goals in life than climbing the hierachy. It had taken a very long night of talking to put some of the more severe differences aside and get to a new understanding. But still, a part of him would never see his father the same way Jacob did.

"That stern Ministry Man was all I got to work with... for fourteen years," Newt murmured. "For the longest time, if he talked to me at all it was to taunt, belittle and patronise me and my life choices." Jacob gaped at him at his words, apparently unable to reconcile them with his own experiences of Perseus Scamander.

"That bad?" Jacob asked. "No wonder you never did talk about him. He didn't like your work with the beasts?"

Newt chuckled darkly. "I was supposed to get sorted into Ravenclaw like him, excel at school, have a soaring career at the Ministry and 'make something of myself'. Instead I ended up a Hufflepuff, got expelled and un-expelled for something involving a creature, joined the war effort to work with dragons and almost got myself killed there. And even after that I chose to rather go off gallivanting around to globe under less than desirable circumstances to study magical creatures instead of getting a desk job. No, my father did not like any of that."

"Huh. What changed?"

"I found Tina. I got engaged. I stood up for her to my brother. And suddenly I wasn't sixteen and a fool anymore in his eyes, but someone he didn't even know."

Newt returned back to his work, applying a fresh layer of plaster to the ceiling above him. A few moments later he continued with one last observation. "I have a feeling that just as Theseus is throwing his weight in at the Ministry to make his mistakes up to Tina, my father is doing the same to make something up to me... but since there's not much he can actually do for _me_ these days, he's turning to my friends instead." 

And being honest, Newt was quite alright with that.

 

* * *

 

It was one of those dreary days that usually acompanied the start of May. The sky was overhung with grey clouds that threatened heavily with rain, but all that consistently came down was a British drizzle. The kind of rain that was not enough to warrant using an Umbrella Spell (or an actual umbrella), but just enough to get every piece of clothing soaked through after a short while outside.

It was on this dreary Thursday morning that Newt had finally sat down with what he had secretly dubbed the Wedding Planning Committee, his mother, Queenie and Tina, to discuss the actual plans for the impending day. Newt had been happy to leave the plans to the ladies, but as it was less than a month to go now, his involvement couldn't be put off anymore apparently.

"Your instructions of 'small and simple' don't cut it anymore, Newt," his mother had insisted last night at dinner. So here he was, answering questions, propositions and ideas with yes or no so the wedding plans could be finalized.

"Okay, that should do it," his mother smiled and Newt gave a low gasp of relief that was mirrored by Tina. "Now, we'll need to talk about the things that need ordering," she continued, shuffling through her notes.

Newt couldn't help the groan that escaped him.. "Mother, what on earth would need to be ordered? There's not going to be too many guests, no big production of any kind as we just established. What needs ordering?"

His mother shook her head and grinned in amusement. "Well dear, the flowers, food and drinks of course. And don't forget your dress robes, both of you!"

"Dress robes?" Tina asked with a frown. "Those don't need ordering, Gracia. Queenie and I were going to look for one after I'm done with my exams and I'm sure Newt has something adequate in mind already."

Well, he did have a set of dress robes, the one he'd worn for the Hogmanay Ball at Hogwarts. He'd rather not wear those though... he didn't feel terribly comfortable in them. Would it be strange to just show up in one's usual clothing for the own wedding? Yes, it probably was. 

His mother put a hand on Tina's arm to sooth her. "Don't get me wrong, but no he doesn't. Queenie and I thought it would be nicer if instead of you two going to a dressmaker in Diagon Alley the week before your wedding, the dressmaker is going to come here. Today, in fact." She glanced at the watch in the corner of the living room. "In about 30 minutes, to be exact."

Tina stared at her and shook her head. "Gracia, thank you but I don't want some fancy kind of dress... that's not me."

"Tina dear, the dress will be just as simple or as fancy as you want it," she replied with a chuckle, but Tina didn't seem convinced of this at all. "Please, would you let me have this one thing? I don't have a daughter of my own to put in a wedding dress, so I'd like to do that for you at least since your own dear mother is not with us anymore."

Newt cringed internally. His mother knew just how to get what she wanted, even without Queenie's legilimency skills. But he had to admit, that was a really low blow... 

"Queenie, are you in on this?" Tina asked her sister.

She nodded with a broad grin. "Come on, it will be fun. Instead of choosing from a few finished dresses you actually get to have a say in what it's gonna look like, and have it made just for you!"

The two locked eyes for a moment, having a silent one-sided conversation.

"That's not gonna be an issue, Teenie," Queenie replied in a low voice. "I thought she'd made that clear. She wants to do this _for_ you."

Tina got up from the couch and walked over to the windows to look out into the rain. She had crossed her arms in front of her chest and he knew she was thinking hard enough to have that small crease appear between er eyebrows.

Newt also had an inkling what that was about... Tina had wanted to pay for her own wedding dress, it was the one thing she had stubbornly insisted on that evening they had spoken about finances, months ago back in New York. He was happy to cover all other costs for their wedding, he did have more than enough means for that after all, but the dress she wanted to take care of herself. And now his mother had arranged for something entirely different that would most likely be well out of her own budget... and insisted on paying for it, too. 

She didn't look too happy when she glanced back over to him. He tried to give her an encouraging smile, knowing she'd likely made her choice already and was still working through her token resistence. His Tina did have her pride after all, but his mother knew just too well which buttons to push. 

Tina closed her eyes and sighed, then turned around and nodded. "I don't appreciate you going over our heads like that Gracia, but okay... if it's that important to you, I'll go and see that dressmaker later."

His mother beamed. "Wonderful! Thank you, dear."

 

Thirty minutes later Newt found himself up in his room, accompanied by Jacob and Mr. Tattings, tailor from Twilfitt and Tattings in London. He gave them a booklet to look at different styles of wizard dress robes so Newt could choose pieces he'd most likely feel comfortable in, Jacob was happy to give a second (sometimes third) opinion on the options.

His measurements were taken in a matter of minutes, then the man proceeded to inquire what he hadn't particularly liked about his previous sets of dressrobes so that those issues could be avoided this time around. He'd pencilled a quick sketch of what his robes for the wedding could look like so far and Newt... well, he was not completely averse to what he saw. 

When it came to choosing a fabrics, Newt was completely out of his depth, though. All he knew was that he didn't want to go for something all black... he'd prefer not to be dressed for attending a funeral on his wedding day, thank you very much. But the quite competent tailor had a solution for that as well, and barely an hour after shaking his hand in greeting the man presented Newt with a sketch of something he would very much enjoy to wear. _  
_

Tina, as it turned out when they returned down into the entrance hall, was not even close to finished yet. The ladies had gathered in the living room to talk about her dress and were still discussing the matter animatedly from what he could her in the entrance hall. 

"Don't worry Mr. Scamander, it's normal for the bride to take a bit longer than the groom," his tailor told him with a grin. There was probably a case of severe understatement in that sentence somewhere.

Just in that moment his mother left the room, presumably to check up on the progress upstairs. "Oh, you're done already?" she exclaimed with a pleased expression.

"We are, yes. It was a slightly less scarring experience than anticipated," Newt told his mother.

She chuckled. "Can I see it?"

After a nod from him Mr. Tattings showed her the sketches that Newt had ultimately approved off and in a few quick minutes even the still open question of fabric choice had been settled to everyone's satisfaction. The tailor left with the promise of sending an owl when the order was ready for a first fitting, leaving the three to themselves.

"Well, it's still going to take a while in there," Gracia chuckled. "So you two go and do whatever it is you're doing whenever you leave the Manor for hours on end... " With that she vanished back into the living room.

And Newt and Jacob did as they were told. They spend the rest of Thursday working on the cottage. And tomorrow he would go and spend some time at his actual desk at the Beast Division for a change as Jacob had a meeting for a new job. 

 

* * *

 

"Tina?" Behind her the second door to the library had opened, revealing a slightly dishevelled Newt dressed in pyjamas. "It's past midnight, love. You should go and get some sleep for tomorrow."

Tina threw a glance to the clock on the desk, it was 00:30 am already. "I still have to revise these," she answered, gesturing to the stack of papers before her. Her notes for the theoretical parts of her Auror exams.

He had walked over to her and rested a broad warm hand on her shoulder. "I know that you think you do, but I'm confident that you already do know everything there's to know by now. That won't do any good when you're falling asleep on your feet during the exams tomorrow, though." He bowed forward and placed a kiss to her hair.

"Come on, love. Let's go to bed." He paused for a moment. "Take your notes with you if that makes you feel better, but at least try and make an effort to go to sleep?"

Sleep did seem like a good idea. The written lines had started to blurr before her eyes a while ago and stretching out on a bed after sitting at her desk for so long did sound heavenly to be honest... 

"Hm... okay," she answered, gathered her notes in a neat pile and followed Newt upstairs and into his room. She always slept a little better having someone (Newt) close or at least in the same room with her, so she'd rather share a bed with him tonight... if she managed to fall asleep at all.

"Do you mind?" she asked, gesturing towards his bed.

"Of course not. How else am I supposed to make sure you get some sleep, hm?" He grinned at her and crawled back under the blankets. It was more than obvious that he had been asleep here already and only came to get her when he had woken again alone.

Tina quickly went through her ablutions in her own adjoining bedroom and joined her fiancé in bed, leaving her study notes on the bedside table. Newt was right, she needed to be rested for tomorrow, but she still felt a little too antsy to sleep despite being dead tired.

"Can't sleep yet?" Newt chuckled next to her.

"No. I wanna go to sleep, but I also want to go over my notes one last time, and frankly I just want tomorrow to be over," she admitted. Even during her first year of Auror training she hadn't been this nervous before the exams... probably because she had been so much better prepared by actually attending all the classes and knowing the people who would evaluate her.

"You seem awfully tense, love," Newt spoke softly. "Would you like me to help you relax a little?"

_Did he really just ask that?!_

"Newt, I really don't think I have a mind for that now!" she exclaimed just a little more sharply than intended. "Sorry," she added a bit softer, "I'm not-"

"It's okay," he chuckled. "That was not what I had in mind anyway. But if you'd turn 'round and lie on your stomach I could massage your back for a bit, loosen up those tense muscles and take a bit from the stress? It worked for you before..."

Yes, it had... Newt's hands were magic when it came to finding and undoing the tense knots and muscles of her back. Be it after a stressful day at work, a long day of studying or just for the sake of touching her in an innocently pleasant way. His touch never failed to relax her...

"Okay, it might be worth a try," she chuckled and shifted to lie on her stomach, feeling Newt move into a kneeling position beside her. And soon after she felt his strong hands softly knead her back and neck through the fabric of her pyjamas. An indecently deep sigh escaped her, and she didn't even feel ashamed about it.

"Does that feel good?" Newt teased her with a chuckle as he continued working.

Tina hummed in reply. She could feel the tension in her loose slowly and with the stress uncoiling she began to feel more and more drowsy. Her eyes grew heavy, then stayed shut completely and soon after her body slackened into a state of complete realxation. Then the blackness of sleep claimed her.

 

* * *

 

Tina pulled open the massive door and entered the relatively small class room she had been directed to. Four young men in dark suits and an older Auror were already inside, they looked over towards her immediately.

"Can I help you, Miss?" the older wizard inquired with a raised eyebrow and a fake smile. He had grey peppered hair and a crooked nose that looked like it might have been broken one too many times.

"Yes," Tina answered in her most confident professional voice. "I'm here for the Auror Final Examinations."

She had left Scamander Manor early this morning with 30 minutes to spare before the Examinations were scheduled to start... just in case she couldn't find her way in the underground beehive that was the British Ministry of Magic. It was a good thing too because she really had lost her way, ending up in an office the size of a broom closet to ask for directions.

The five men looked sceptical at her, some of the boys (because that is what they were in her eyes: boys, barely out of school) snickered quietly. The Auror in charge looked her up and down and Tina knew what would follow. "I'm sorry, but-"

"I should be somewhere on your list," she interrupted the man in a self-assured voice before he could go so far as to insult her by directing her towards the Head of Secretaries a few rooms down. "The name is Goldstein and I'm definitely registered for todays exams. Would you like to see the letter of confirmation?"

She carried it inside her coat pocket, in case the validity of her registration was in question... Theseus had warned her that some of the older Auror staff were not very partial to have women on the team and there was a chance they'd try to sabotage her participation in the exams by refusing to let her even sign in.

The crooked-nosed man frowned at her again, but indulged her request anyway by shuffling through the papers on his clipboard. "Hm, there's a P. Goldstein here," he admitted grudgingly and looked at her again.

"Yes, sir. That would be Porpentina Goldstein," she confirmed.

A few of the boys start muttering at hearing her name. They were probably recognising it either from reports about the Grindelwald arrest in New York the year before last, or from being mentioned in more than one article about Newt in the past months. She didn't pay them much attention though, still observing the Auror before her who did seem unimpressed and most definitely unconvinced.

"I'm sorry madam, but you're-"

"A woman, yes. That surely shouldn't be a problem, sir, should it?" she questioned him with eyebrows raised in a stern frown. "I've worked for the American Auror Offices for seven years, five of them in the fields, and recently transferred to the Ministry. Your Head of Department himself was so kind as to arrange for my place here today, so I could obtain my Auror license for Britain and begin work. I'm sure Mr. Scamander would be willing to confirm these claims, if you're still in doubt."

The man mustered her once more, this time intently. She had dressed in a smart but still slightly feminine way in a white blouse resembling a man's button down, dark grey jacket and slacks and a pair black brogues with sensible heels. No make-up, no jewellery apart from her engegament ring, nothing that would make her seem fragile or anything else than tough. She meant business today. The Auror nodded, even though his expression was more that of an old man indulging his grandchild in a bit of silliness. "Well then, Miss Goldstein, let's see how you're doing today."

Tina took the clipboard he offered her to sign the piece of paper confirming her presence and nodded at him sharply before stepping over to the small group of Aurors-in-training she would take her exams with today.

Tina was not usually this full of herself, boasting with confidence and talking over people the way she just had with the Auror in charge of the exams. But she had to maintain an image for her work, that she was a tough and competent Auror who would not be ignored or overlooked. And most importantly, that she would not have anyone tell her no simply because she was a woman. So she'd turned up the dial on 'feisty American' quite more than usual and gotten past the first obstacle today.

"Well then," the grey-haired man spoke loudly after clearing his throat. "Welcome to the Final Auror Examinations, everyone. Most of you already know me, my name is Hector Herford and I'll be the Head Examiner this year." He looked at her before continuing. "You should know the drill by now, but for our newest addition I'll repeat it anyway."

 

* * *

 

Tina was waiting on a small bench outside the same classroom from this morning. The fourth boy, Lawrence, had just been called in to get his results and Tina was by herself now, reflecting on how she had done in her own estimation.

The practical parts were pretty easy to manage, since she definitely had the neccessary experience from her time at MACUSA. Even Herford seemed to not be unimpressed after she had excelled in both Concealment and Disguise and Stealth and Tracking on first try. She also successfully identified the Poisons on display in the room, named their effects and the neccessary Antidotes and managed to detect the traces of magic in the courtyard that was presented to her for Detection and Analysis. The Head Examiner even raised a surprised eyebrow when she asked whether or not she was supposed to follow the trail of Apparition she had detected. That had to be a good sign, right?

The theoretical part in the morning had been a little more tricky, but she managed to answer all questions as well. Tina had had well over a month to study and prepare for this part, learning all the differences between American and British Law. Knowledge of magical jurisprudence was important, since a whole investigation could be for nothing if an arrest was made on false grounds or dismissed for lack of form. This part was the main reason she had to do the entire examination over again... Hector Herford had been slightly annoyed when the clock had signalled the end of her designated time for the theoreticals and she hadn't failed to answer a single question on even the most ridiculous details.

Lawrence left the room with a grin and nodded for her to enter next. She was the last examinee, after all.

Head Examinar Herford sat at the desk in front of the room and waited for her to approach and sit down before addressing her.

"Well, Miss Goldstein," he said after clearing his voice and shuffling unneccessarily long through the papers before him, "it will seem that you are indeed to be a British Auror. Congratulations." He did not look too happy about it when he handed her the result papers.

"Thank you, Mr. Herford," she answered anyway and took a quick look at the sheet. Yep, she definitely passed. "We'll be colleagues then. Will you be able to deal with that?" Tina asked with her sweetest smile and her most concerned voice. She just couldn't stop herself from rubbing this in his face a little.

He narrowed his eyes on her. "I think I'll manage, Miss Goldstein. The Head of Department seems to think a great deal of you, but that might just be 'cause you're to be his sister-in-law," he answered, then gave her an unfriendly smirk. "So it stands to reason that you'll be off active duty soon enough. Good husbands won't let their wives run off after criminals."

Tina chuckled and shook her head as she got up to leave. "Oh, you shouldn't blindly assume, Mr. Herford. My fiancé is quite a special kind of man. I'll see you in June."

With that she turned to left the classroom, result papers and Auror license for Britain in hand. She absolutely did not jump and skip in happiness anf relief once she found herself alone in the long and dark-tiled corridor. Absolutely not. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for Tina passing her exams! There's gonna be a new Auror in the Scamander family now!  
> This chapter spans just a bit more than a month, and those of you who don't read too many fanfics at once may remember what's gonna happen next in the storyline... I'll see you in two days ;) 
> 
> _I've also partially managed to work around my writer's block. Turns out, a change of perspective can work miracles!_   
>  _Anyway, I'm still not sure if it's going to 35 or even 36 chapters for this one... any more additions on my next read-through and I'll have to definitely split it._   
>  _I'm very sure though that there will be one-shots and outtakes following, so keep an eye out or subscribe ;)_   
>  _(I've just had the most outrageous ideas concerning big brother Theseus... let's see when the muse hits me again to actually write it!)_


	33. A Most Magical Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a big day for Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted an extended outtake from this chapter, it's called ["Quite Fortunate"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9790352) and is actually set just before the beginning of this chapter. Feel free to check it out...

In keeping with traditions, Newt and Tina did not spend their last night before the wedding under the same roof. Newt and Jacob had gone to London to stay at his brother's house...

They flooed back to the Manor some time after breakfast the next morning and Newt was immediately ushered into his room by his mother so he wouldn't see his bride before the ceremony. For some reason that was supposed to bring bad luck...

But despite her orders, some time later he heard voices drifting down the corridor and went to his door so he could catch Tina one last time before she was getting dressed. He looked outside and down the hallway to find her and Queenie standing a few doors down.

"Good moring, you two," he chuckled before stepping out  and into the hallway with a sheepish grin.

"Good morning, yourself." Tina replied, not in the least surprised, and met him halfway with a grin.

He cradled her cheek and leaned in for a short and chaste kiss. Anything more than that could wait until this lovely witch was his wife.

"You know you're not supposed to see me before the ceremony, right?" she whispered against his mouth.

"Hm, I think I'm not supposed to see you _in your dress_ before the ceremony. At least that is my interpretation of it... and I do believe you're not getting married in your most comfortably worn dressing gown."

Tina giggled. "Did you have a good evening at your brother's?" she asked.

"More or less... I missed you though."

Just in that moment his mother chose to check up on them... or whatever her excuse was for coming upstairs again.

"Newton, you're not suppposed to see her before the ceremony. It's bad luck!" she chided him.

Tina giggled in his arms. "Gracia, I'm not even dressed yet. It's going to be fine."

His mother looked at them with a very stern expression. "You say that now... Come on, back into your rooms. Both of you. No more secret meetings until the ceremony."

Newt sighed. "Alright... I'll see you soon, love. Let's say, at three o'clock down in the garden?" He smirked and his bride chuckled in response.

"I'll be there, darling." There was another short peck on his lips and then she was gone again.

Only four more hours. Whatever was he supposed to do with all that time?

"Jacob?" his mother called out. His friend stuck his head out of the door to his room at being summoned. "Please make sure he's not sneaking off again, would you?"

The baker looked confused. "But Gracia, how am I gonna do that? He can do that apparition thing..."

"Not in here he can't," his mother smirked. "Inside the house he has to rely on his feet just like you do, dear."

"In that case: Yes, Ma'am! Come on Newt, you heard your mother. Only a few more hours, pal!"

Newt shook his head in amusement and reentered his room. Apparently he was supposed to be a prisoner in the last hours as a 'free man'... even though he really hadn't been a free man from the moment he met Tina Goldstein. First in one, than in another sense.

Ten minutes later his father knocked on the door and together with Jacob and Theseus they worked on preparing the garden behind the house for the ceremony.

 

* * *

 

Newt was ready. He'd had a lengthy bath to pass some of the remaining time, then put on his clothing with more care to detail than usual. The charcoal grey dress pants and crisp white shirt, both definitely finer and more elegant than what he wore on a daily basis. They were cut in a way that fit him comfortably without looking too boxy on his narrow frame. Next there was the low cut waistcoat in a bright blue that was similar to his favourite overcoat but also intricately patterned in a slightly darker shade. He slipped it over his shoulders, then took the matching necktie and tied it carefully before buttoning the waistcoat. Socks and polished black dress shoes followed, then he put the cufflinks on the cuffs of his dress shirt. He had tried his best to put a comb to his hair, but the wild locks on his head did whatever they pleased and so it had not been a very fruitful venture. But that was not a bad thing either because Tina liked his hair the way it usually was.

Last, Newt donned the charcoal grey jacket that was a mixture of a frock coat and cutaway and completed his wedding dress robes. As hoped, he certainly did not look dressed for a funeral on his wedding day with a suit of dark grey and vibrant blue instead of a the usual black and white combination. The robes were also not exactly considered suitable formal attire for a wedding... but then again their wedding was not a normal affair either. Usual wedding ceremonies took place in the mornings or were a lengthy formal affair in the evening, they were not performed at 3 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon in front of less than ten people. Some people might even consider this almost an elopement... he had to grin at that thought.

He took one last look at himself in the mirror and grinned at what he saw there. _There is a man about to get married_. Then he left his room, rapping shortly on the door to Jacob's room and waited for the man to join him before making their way downstairs and into the garden where their few guests were already milling about and waiting. The entrance hall had been redecorated a bit with white ribbons and flowers, and so had the garden.

"Nervous?" his father asked with a chuckle when he came to meet him out on the terrace.

"No, I'm not actually," Newt replied, because he really wasn't. He was rather looking forward to getting married and 'making it official' as he had put it to his brother last night.

"Lucky you. I was a nervous wreck on my wedding day," his father admitted. "I really wasn't sure your mother would actually show up..."

"Well, Tina's already here," Newt replied amused. "And I actually gave her more than one chance to opt out or postpone the wedding to a later time. She's here today because she really wants us to get married... and sooner rather than later."

Only ten more minutes now. The Ministry Official sent to perform the ritual, a Cornelius Jones, had already greeted him on his way into the house. He had gone upstairs to see the bride and quickly go over the procedures with her one last time.

Newt had been instructed to wait in front of the white wooden gazebo that had been erected for today's ceremony. It stood a little forlornly at the far part of the lawn in front of the fountain. Since there were only six guests (seven if you counted the unannounced guest his brother had just surprised him with – Percival Graves!) they had agreed not to have seats for the ceremony, instead their friends and family would gather around them to witness their binding.

When it was close to three o'clock everyone had gathered behind him to wait for the arrival of the bride. Queenie had been the last to arrive with a huge grin on her face, which meant that it wouldn't be long now.

And there she was, a beauty in a white dress crossing the green lawn in the warm sunlight of this Sunday afternoon. His Tina. His bride.

She looked absolutely wonderful in her wedding gown. It had a deep v-neckline that revealed quite a bit of the lacy shift she wore underneath. Her shoulders were covered in cap sleeves made from the same sort of lace as the shift, and there was a small sparkling detail placed between her breast and hips that seemed to hold together the gathered fabric covering her upper body. The dress fell in straight folds of light fabrics from her waist down to just mid-calf, exposing her stockinged ankles and the white t-strap shoes she wore. And her chin-length dark wavy hair was crowned with a cap veil of fine lace that went down to her waist.

Newt chuckled happily when he noticed that Tina was not actually crossing the lawn alone. Dougal was with her and someone had even dressed him up in a little bowtie for the occasion. In a measured pace the now visible Demiguise led her straight towards where Newt was waiting in front of their few gathered guests. Where he waited to receive his bride so he could lead her 'down the aisle' himself, even if there was no actual aisle for them to walk down here. Tina grinned as Dougal took Newt's broad hand put the slim hand he'd been holding into it.

"Thank you," Newt said to the creature that was already retreating towards a waiting Jacob to watch them proceed. And no, Newt was absolutely not tearing up at the thought that the clingy Demiguise was giving Tina away in her father's stead. No, there must be something in his eyes, and also the sun did its best to blind him.

He gazed at Tina with a watery smile, taking her in once more up close. "Merlin! You look so beautiful, Tina," he whispered in awe.

"So do you," she replied with a soft chuckle and eyed him with obvious approval.

Newt had to force himself to stop staring at this beautiful creature that was about to become his wife and gathered his wits again. He squeezed the hand he was still gently holding in his own. "Shall we, then?"

Tina's laugh was the most wonderful sound. "Oh yes, we shall."

They turned around and hand in hand walked through the short alleyway/aisle the others had formed for them, on towards the gazebo where their official Mr. Jones was waiting for them. They stopped two steps in front of him, underneath the white gazebo that was decorated with all different sorts of white flowers and greenery. It smelled wonderful, he noticed.

Jones nodded at them in greeting and waited for the guests to have found their places around them before beginning.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards. We have gathered here today to witness and celebrate the magical union of two people: Newton Scamander, Magizoologist and author from England, and Porpentina Goldstein, accomplished Auror from New York. They stand here before us now together, but they met under the least favourable of circumstances an entire ocean away. It was in just a few short days that a connection formed between them and it persevered over time and distance and managed to grow into mutual love and admiration. Two things that are hard to find even in the best of times and circumstances." He paused for a moment. "Today these two wish to be joined together, become husband and wife till death do them part, in the most ancient and traditional way known to wizardkind: a binding. Bride and groom have prepared their own personal speeches to declare their willingness of being bound, and we shall hear them now."

At this Newt and Tina turned to face each other and and he took both her hands in his. With a giddy grin Newt cleared his throat and went first.

"Tina, you are the most magical creature I have ever encountered on all my travels, many as they were. You are strong and intelligent, breathtakingly beautiful and most importantly a kind and caring being. You see me, you understand me, you love me despite the many flaws and eccentricities I have... and you should know that you are the most important person to me. I desire to make you happy and see you laugh as often as possible. I wish to know your hopes and dreams and help you achieve them. I want to take your troubles away, or else share them with you to lessen the burden. And I would gladly give my own life to safe yours, should the need ever arise... but let's hope that it does not, because most of all I want to share a life and to grow old with you. Tina Goldstein, there is no one else for me but you and I wholeheartedly wish to bind myself to you and become your husband till death do us part."

Levitating next to them was a small pillow holding the two golden wedding bands, and Pickett. He held out the smaller of the two rings for Newt to take, who placed it on the ringfinger of Tina's right hand as a sign of his willingness to be bound to her.

She had become misty-eyed hearing his words and needed a moment to compose herself before she started with her own vows.

"I think everyone here can confirm that we probably didn't meet in the best of situations," she started and everyone around them chuckled. "You were a law-breaker and I the Auror who tried to arrest you. Yet we worked together and succeeded in saving a city, facing grave danger not just once but twice within a few short days of knowing each other. And despite all that I feel so lucky to have met you, Newt. You caught me once when it mattered the most, and have done so repeatedly ever since then. I will try my best to do the same for you... catch you when you stumble or fall and be the wind underneath your wings to help you soar high. I'll love you and cherish you and make sure that the lines growing on your face in our future will be caused by laughter rather than troubled frowns. Because I too want to see us grow old together... so much. We did not just make plans to marry once but twice now and today as we're finally here there is nothing more I wish for than to bind myself to you, Newt Scamander, and become your wife till death do us part."

And with a steady hand she took the second ring from Picket's arms and placed it on him with a smiile.

Newt had to wipe a few tears from his eyes. This all felt so unreal, hearing Tina make her declaration with vows of loving and cherishing him, growing old together. And yes, this time they were actual tears, no excuses for those.

"I love you," he whispered to her, which in turn made her tear up again as well. Jones waited a few moments until they both had regained some kind of composure before continuing with the ceremony.

"Newton Artemis Fido Scamander and Porpentina Esther Goldstein have declared their willingness to be bound to one another," the official announced for everyone to hear. "Do any guests in attendence have objections, a reason why they should not be bound?"

Thankfully everyone stayed silent. Not that he had expected anyone to object, these were their families and friends after all...

The man nodded into the silence that had greeted him and turned his focus back to the couple. "Then we shall begin. Please take your intended's hands and step closer," he instructed the couple. Newt grasped both of Tina's hands, intertwining their fingers, and stepped a little closer to her. They were face to face now, noses only a few short inches apart with their clasped hands held up on each side of their faces so their arms were touching almost all the way to their elbows. He caught her eyes and grinned at his fiancée one last time. _This is it,_ her eyes said and her smile was one of anticipation.

The official had taken a parchment scroll from the pocket of his blue robes and let it levitate beside him. Then he pointed his wand at the couple and spoke the ancient incantation that would bind them together.

Newt felt a surge in him, the flow of magic from every cell in his body out into his right hand from where it curled itself in a long ribbon of bronze light around their intertwined hands and down to their elbows from where it moved to spin around both their bodies. The same had happened beginning in Tina's right hand where a ribbon of silvery light bound them together hands, arms, body. They swirled around them and soon they were enveloped in a cocoon of bronze and silver. The glowing ribbons weaving and blending together, light pulsing in time with their heartbeats for a few long moments until the net suddenly dissolved with blinding light into a single spark of pure magic that hovered in the space left between them.

They looked at each other in wonder for a moment, then slowly let go of the other's hands and with one last shaky smile at the woman he loved Newt moved his right hand between them, where it was soon met with Tina's slightly trembling one. Together they enclosed that hovering spark, pressing their hands together and around it from fingertip to heel of hand.

It was a rush that Newt had never felt before when the binding magic returned into him, and when it had settled again it felt just a little different than before. There was more to it now, something that hadn't been there before... the presence of Tina as a part of him. She would probably feel the same, having him as a part of her.

They were bound now by their magic, and it was an incredible feeling.

The rings on their touching hands had started to glow softly when they closed around the spark but the light was fading slowly again and when the rings had returned to their normal golden colour, the official nodded and spoke the words that would end the ceremony. The words they had both been waiting and wanting to hear for a while now.

"Both were willing, both were able and now it is written in magic. Newton and Porpentina, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife."

Their names appeared on the levitating scroll, written in a burning silver and bronze that slowly turned into a normal kind of dark ink:

_Newton Artemis Fido Scamander & Porpentina Esther Scamander (née Goldstein) _

"You now may kiss your wife," Jones said with a smile and Newt did just that: he soundly kissed his wife. His Tina. Tina Scamander.

 

* * *

 

The people around them were cheering and clapping when their lips had disconnected again and Tina returned somewhat to reality.

Gracia was the first to come forward and congratulate them in her own personal way: a tight and welcoming hug for both of them. There were obvious tears of joy in her eyes. The same enthusiastic treatment came from her sister, and Jacob too. Perseus was a bit more regal when he shook both their hands and wished them a long and happy life together, as were Theseus and Arabella.

The next face she saw was entirely unexpected, though.

"Mr. Graves!" Tina exclaimed. She hadn't noticed him among the guests when she approached the gazebo. Her eyes had been entirely focussed on her groom, on her smiling Newt in his grey and blue suit. Then and throughout the entire ceremony, of course.

Graves smiled at her. "Congratulations to both of you, from me and the entire department back in New York of course."

"Thank you so much. What are you doing here?" she asked, happy to see him even though he belonged into a past life now.

"Oh, I was invited by Mr. Scamander," he replied. Tina took a look at her new husband. He had invited her former mentor and boss to their wedding? Graves chuckled when he noticed. "Not your husband, Tina. Your brother-in-law."

Oh. Yes, that would make a bit more sense. Theseus and Graves had stayed in touch regularly since April to exchange information regarding their efforts on the Grindelwald situation... and her sister's status as a wanted witch in the United States, of course. They had been informed two days ago that she was a wanted witch no longer, though.

"I didn't know about it either," Newt told her with a grin. "It was good of you to come, Mr. Graves."

"How could I not? You know I was happy for you to find someone, Tina. And even a someone who doesn't try to keep you away from the job you love." He nodded at Newt. "I was very sorry to see a good Auror and person like you leave under those circumstances... But I heard you got licensed for Britain now, Tina. Congratulations on that, too."

"Thank you, yes. Theseus actually kept his promise to you I guess, I'll start work again in about two weeks."

"After the honeymoon, huh? Good, good." Graves chuckled.

 

They all had tea together after the ceremony, under the canvas tent roof that had been erected for the celebration. There was a large table arranged with beautiful blue and white flowers and greens. Same as her wedding bouquet (which she had of course forgotten in the living room when Dougal had taken her outside). White for her, blue for her groom it seemed. He really did look dashing in that suit, and unlike his other dress robes he also looked very comfortable wearing them as the afternoon went on.

At some point after tea they had their first dance as a married couple. A slow waltz to the sound of an enchanted gramophone, Newt's right hand on her back and to other gripping her hand gently. His eyes never left hers during the dance, and he looked like the happiest man on earth as he led her in circles around the small improvised dancefloor. Tina shared that feeling with him.

In the evening the dancing and talking was followed by a lengthy dinner of several courses. Compliments of the family's House-Elves who were just as happy as the parents to see 'Master Newton' getting married.

The last course was the wedding cake Jacob had prepared for them, and it was a thing of beauty with intricate sugar designs painted onto the outer layer of chocolate. And very delicious, too.

 

* * *

 

It had become dark some time after dinner and Newt and Tina were dancing again, outside the tent and just barely within the circle of illumination created by the lights under the canvas roof. A slow two-step this time, or more accurately they were gently moving in time with the music for a slow two-step.

"Tina?" Newt whispered as they swayed together, foreheads touching.

"Yes, my husband?" She had called him this all evening now, and it was still a strange and wonderful thing to say. _Newt Scamander, my husband._

"What would you say if we... left? I think it's expected of us to take our leave at some point, you see... for our wedding night."

Tina chuckled when she noticed the slight blush that had crept up on his cheeks again. "I'd like that," she whispered back. "Our guests can continue here without us I'm sure."

He nodded against her. "Alright then. Let's announce our departure, hm?"

They waited until the song had finished and then went to say their goodbyes. Theseus and Arabella were the sole couple dancing now, the others sat around the table, talking, drinking and enjoying themselves.

Apparently no one but Newt and Queenie knew where they would spend their wedding night, or at least they were not telling her if they knew. Her sister had assured her though that it was somewhere quite adequate for the occasion and most definitely _not_ inside the Manor, which was what mattered the most to Tina. Queenie also made sure that she'd have everything she might need at this mystery location... whatever that meant.

So, after a lengthy round of goodbyes to their guests and a few chuckles and cheers, they left the small gathering behind to continue their celebrations on their own. They went not in the direction of the house though, but the exact opposite. Newt wrapped his arms around her waist and led her past the gazebo and water fountain, onwards along the blooming flowerbeds and through the boxwood hedges to the lush green Hippogriff meadow and a bit beyond until they reached a point where disapparition was possible again.

"Any last hints as to where we are going?" Tina asked teasingly on their way.

"No," he chuckled. "You'll see it soon enough."

They stopped past a line of trees just a few minutes after leaving the merry company and Newt wrapped her in his arms.

"Are you ready to go, Mrs. Scamander?"

She smiled at him. "I am, Mr. Scamander."

And so they disapparated...

... into darkness in the middle of nowhere. But there was a light in the not too far distance and Newt, arm wrapped around her waist once more, led her confidently towards it.

"Where are we?" Tina asked curiously. There really was not much to be seen in the sparse light of the moon. Grass, a sloping hillside probably. Nothing to tell her where they might have gone.

"You'll see," he said again. But he did sound a little nervous now and wrapped his arm just a bit tighter around her waist as they continued walking.

The light in the distance turned out to be a small house. And not just any house, but a cute little cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green fields of grass...

"Newt!" Tina was astounded and stopped short when she realised where they were. It was the same cottage they had walked by on Christmas Day. But now it was in an inhabitable state, roof and walls fixed, windows repaired and filled with inviting light. The rose bushes were green and growing, a few buds ready to bloom the next day. She turned to look at her husband in wonder.

"This is..."

"Yes, it is," he replied with a nervous smile.

"How did you-?"

"It's ours," he explained hastily before she could even finish the question.

Tina couldn't believe what she had just heard. "Ours?"

"Yes. Well, mine but therefore now ours. I had inquired after it a while back and uhm... purchased it, and I've worked on restoring it since we got back to England, so that we could have a place to call home after our wedding. That is, if you'd like to call this home." He paused for a moment and continued in a softer voice. "It doesn't have to be, though. If you'd rather go live in London or somewhere more... urban, that would be fine too. We could always come here for a weekend or so, I guess..."

Tina shushed his ramblings with a thorough kiss. He blinked at her owlishly when they parted again, further words forgotten.

Tina turned back around to look at the cottage. "I love it, Newt. It's... amazing. You did all this work yourself?"

He nodded. "Well, Jacob did help with it. And Queenie did a few things, too. But it's far from finished yet, there's still a lot we'd have to do to make it... home or something."

That was... unbelievable. Newt had bought a run-down cottage she had thought to be a nice place to live and then spend weeks working on it to get it into a nice and inhabitable shape again. For them, so they could have a place of their own to live.... and spend their wedding night here.

Tina took his hand in hers and tucked him forward with a grin. "Show me our new home?"

He looked quite relieved hearing her say that and with a bright smile followed her through the wooden gate in the stone wall to the front door.  But stopped her from entering just yet.

"I think I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold, Mrs. Scamander, am I not?"

Tina giggled. "You may do that, husband."

Newt nodded. He opened the door of their cottage, then picked her up bridal style with one arm around her back and one under her knees and carried her inside into a sparse but still inviting hallway.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Scamander," he whispered. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, her head leaned on his shoulder and neither of them made any move to change this position. "Uhm, would you like a tour?" he continued a little hesitantly as he stood in the small entry hall with his bride in his arms. 

Tina could actually feel his heartbeat in this position and it had become more rapid now... and likely not from the exertion of carrying her weight. She would love to see the house, but not now. Not tonight.

"I think there's one room I should like to see the most right now, Newt."

He raised his eyebrow in a teasing way. "Is that so, Mrs. Scamander?" The small blush creeping up in his cheeks betrayed his cool, though.

She bit her lip and nodded, feeling very forward all of a sudden. "We've both been waiting some time for this night. Let's not wait any longer, _husband_."

Her Newt coloured crimson but nodded. "Okay then. We'll have a proper tour tomorrow..."

Tina retrieved her wand from a hidden pocket in her dress and shut the door behind them as he continued on and carried her up the stairs and through a short hallway to the right to stop in front of a simple wooden door. He set her down again with a kiss, then let the door swing open to reveal the room behind it.

"Our bedroom, my love."

Tina smiled at the pleasing sight in front of her and took a step inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are folks, they have tied the knot... kind of literally.  
> The wedding ceremony I invented for this was a mixture of Christian (rings, vows), Jewish (the gazebo) and a non-religious handfasting ritual, which is a 'neopagan commitment ceremony' where the couple's hands are bound together by a ribbon. I gave it a bit of a magical twist.  
>  _The next chapter up will detail the wedding night, so there will definitely be SMUT coming your way... and nothing but smut (and a little piece of fluff, too... you know me and my smutty chapters by now ^^))._  
>   
>  Tina's wedding dress would be a midi-length version of this lovely find on the left, though with a less deep v of lace in the back and a lacy white shift underneath as a 'wedding night dress'. Add nude/skin-coloured stockings to it and you've got it.  
> 
> 
> As for Newt, he'd wear something like this beautiful suit on the left, though the coat/jacket would be tailored more like a cutaway (middle) from the waist down. The tie and waistcoat would a bit more teal in colour as the one on the right (think closer to Newt's coat), and since the wedding is in June we're talking some lighter fabrics here ;)  
>    
> (Also, looking for any kind of suit-related pictures there will always be at least one pic of Eddie Redmayne in the results... it's kind of funny, but apart from the OBE outfit I couldn't find anything of his that suited my ideas :D)
> 
> Sorry to disappoint, but for the wedding rings they chose to go with really simple golden bands... it's the magic inside that makes them special ;)  
> 
> 
> And last but not least, those two had their wedding picture taken of course... [This](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8732014/chapters/20841250) beautiful fanart done by Fennethianell comes pretty close to what I had in mind. Check it out if you don't know her already, her fanart is lovely!


	34. The Wedding Night (Explicit)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a comfortably furnished bedroom inside a lovely little stone cottage in the middle of nowhere, our freshly married couple Newt and Tina celebrate their wedding night. 
> 
> This is a piece of explicit smut contributing nothing much to the general plot of this story... Don't like, don't read.  
> The next chapter will be non-explicit again, starting with the morning after this ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** This chapter contains quite a bit of Explicit content. If you don't like anything smutty, this one is not for you. Sorry.

Tina stepped forward and curiously took a look around. The bedroom was warmly illuminated by a number of magical candles that had been set up on the flat surfaces around the room. There was a cushy double bed opposite the door, adorned with a number of fluffy pillows and what looked like the really nice kind of sheets she'd gotten introduced to at the Manor. Those felt heavenly against bare skin...

She also noticed her own suitcase sitting on a chair in front of a small vanity. Queenie must have brought it here some time in the evening, for it had still been at the Manor when she last saw it. She had still been Tina Goldstein then, leaving the room to go and become Mrs. Newton Scamander.

Speaking of her husband... Newt still stood just inside the doorway, observing her observing their bedroom.

"Do you like it?" he asked hesitantly when she turned around to face him again. "We can change it of course when we move here, but for now at least?"

Tina smiled and nodded at him. "Yes, this is great." Amazing, in fact. She'd actually thought about something just like this not too long ago when pondering their future living situation... well, more like daydreaming about it inbetween studies if she was being honest.

Rubbing his neck in a gesture of self-conciousness Newt confessed, "I had a bit of help from Queenie with it." _Ah, that explains it then..._ Her sister had probably had a peek into her thoughts before deciding on anything herself. "Otherwise this probably would have ended up looking rather like my room in the suitcase, you know? Sparse, plain, more on the practical side. Not exactly... suitable."

She chuckled and walked the two steps back over to him. "I like the bedroom in your suitcase, Newt. I wouldn't have minded that either." She actually had many good memories of that room...

"No, but I would have minded," he mumbled. "At least for our wedding night... hence the help."

Tina moved a hand to his face and brushed the fringe of hair back from his forehead, just a little to expose his eyes. They were of a beautiful goldish-green colour and shining brightly with the light of the candles.

"I like it, Newt. I like all of it. The bedroom, the house... becoming your wife. That probably most of all."

He looked at her with a loving smile. "I just want both of us to feel comfortable here tonight, is what I meant."

Tina couldn't help a giggle. "Don't get me wrong, but you haven't even stepped into the room yet. Much less become comfortable in here, darling."

Newt chuckled and shook his head at her. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him with a soft click, then took a few more steps into the room, past Tina and towards the chest of drawers on the left side of the door where he removed his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair sitting in the corner there.

When he turned back around there was an amused expression of mild defiance on his face. He continued to sit down and took off his shoes too, setting them neatly down in the corner next ot him.

"And is this comfortable enough now?" he asked with a crooked grin.

Tina only chuckled in answer as she was busy 'getting comfortable' herself. She had bent down to take her own shoes off as well, mostly so she wouldn't tower over her shoeless husband with her heels still on. Newt joined her just in time to help her up again.

"I guess we're both right at home now," he commented and wrapped his arms around her waist while Tina rested her hands on his shoulders.

They locked eyes again, and slowly Newt leaned in to close the small distance between them for a kiss. A proper one, because standing in the space between the closed door and their bed, they could finally kiss each other the way they'd wanted to all day long... Slow and intense moving lips, sucking and massaging, their tongues sliding together, tasting and exploring, with arms wrapped around each other, clutching and stroking and tracing and holding. They did this for a few very long minutes, relishing the way they had enjoyed each other before the introduction of something more intimate between them. And that was entirely not suitable for any kind of public venue or company.

Newt was the one to break their kiss again, leaning his forehead against hers as he always did when he didn't want their closeness to end just yet, with his arms around her shoulders and the small of her back. He hummed contently.

"My Tina, my beautiful wife... I could kiss you like this all night."

Tina clutched at his waist and moved her thumbs in small half-circles over the blue fabric covering his sides. She chuckled at his words.

"I was hoping you might like to do a little more than that."

"Impatient, are we?" She could feel rather than see the smirk on his lips.

"Not more than you are, darling," she replied, gently shaking her head. "I'm well aware that lately you've been wavering in your decision to wait."

He nodded against her. "And yet, now that we're here on our wedding night I don't feel that impatient anymore," he chuckled and drew her in for another kiss, this one sweeter and softer than the one before.

This time Tina was the one to break them apart and with a smirk she took a step back from him so she could remove the veil still crowning her head. She didn't want to get his hands tangled in the delicate fabric again, but rather in the hair underneath. When she turned back there was a new kind of energy to him. He seemed more twitchy and agitated, but a little hesitant in response to her kiss. A long gaze into his eyes (slightly averted) told her what she needed to know, and it was rather unexpected.

"How come you are nervous so suddenly?" she asked in a soft voice. He had never been nervous with her before, whenever they had taken the time to explore and please each other.

He looked at her in surprise before dropping his eyes to her shoulder again as he mumbled a reply Tina could barely hear. "Because I love you and... I really don't want to disappoint you tonight."

Tina put her arms around his neck in a loose hug and placed a chaste kiss onto his lips.

"I know you won't. This will be just like any other night we spent together... only that now we won't have to stop ourselves at some point."

Newt swallowed heavily and looked at her again. "And if it's not as... pleasing as what you remember?"

Tina's smile faded a little as she took his words in. That was really the last thing he needed to worry about. Time for a bit more disclosure about her past, it seemed...

She caught his eyes before she spoke again. "My previous... experience is not as extensive as you might think. Nor was it that pleasing, Newt. Honestly, everything we've done together so far was so much more enjoyable than what I remember from being seventeen. Just... be the same considerate and gentle lover I've known you to be so far and there's absolutely nothing for you to be nervous about."

He looked taken aback by her words. "That... I didn't know, Tina."

She shook her head with a small smile. "Because it wasn't important. None of that is important anymore, Newt." He would probably have been even so much more careful with her had he known... and more worried about doing something wrong, too. And that was not the kind of experience she had wanted with him.

"Now... are you gonna take me to bed, husband?"

Keeping their eyes locked for a long moment, he swallowed again and nodded.

"Yes, of course I will," he whispered and kissed her again, then let his eyes sweep down and over her. "I uhm... I might need a few pointers on how to get this beautiful dress off you, though..."

"There's a line of small buttons down my back to open it," Tina told him with a chuckle. She turned around and continued talking over her shoulder. "If you'd like to give it a try, Mr. Scamander..."

She could feel him step closer to her with his hands on her shoulders and made her shudder by tracing them down her back to either side of her spine, then up again. Newt placed a soft kiss to the back of her neck, then slowly traced his hand down her spine again and this time she could feel the tiny buttons open underneath his hand. Tina grinned. Her husband was using his wandless magic to help undress her.

Newt parted the fabrics with gentle hands and placed more kisses to the skin of her upper back before his hands slid up again and underneath the lace covering her shoulders.

"May I undress you, Mrs. Scamander?" he spoke softly into her ear and Tina felt goosebumps erupt all over her skin. She nodded in assent and soon he pushed the dress carefully off her shoulders and down her arms until it landed in a heap of satin and lace on the hardwood floor. She stepped out of it when he pulled her backwards with him, hands firmly on her hips, and with a gesture from him her dress was joining his jacket on the wooden chair in the corner of the room.

Newt took a small step back and around her to admire the view before him... Tina, dressed in nothing but her white shift, a girdle and nude silken stockings.

"Lovely," he breathed.

Unconventional was she was, Tina didn't often wear foundation garments like a corselette or a girdle as her fellow women usually did. She preferred the unrestricted freedom of movement when she was working. But when she did wear such things it was only ever to get a little dressed up for him. And it had been obvious that her Newt enjoyed the view very much when their activities went from public to a more private nature, even if he had tried to hide it from her at first.

Being only in her underwear now, she found that Newt was decidedly overdressed at the moment and with a grin she closed the distance between them and started to undress him, too. Between both soft and heated kisses his tie went first, the matching blue waistcoat followed shortly and suspenders lowered before the white dress shirt was unbuttoned, untucked and uncuffed not long afterwards.

Tina pushed him backwards a litte until they reached the edge of the bed and Newt sank down onto the mattress, pulling her down with him and into his lap. His hand on her back pulled her close for a deep and passionate kiss while the other travelled down her body, over soft skin and peaked nipples, down her stomach and following the curve of her hip until he'd reached her thigh and the top of her stockings. He fingered the garters holding up her legwear and caressed the skin he found there. That small strip of bare skin between these two pieces of fabric tantalised him anew every time he saw it.

Tina shifted to softly move her hands over his exposed torso, touching and caressing his freckled skin while mouthing at his neck and shoulders. He very much liked it when she nipped at his skin there... and possibly left a mark or two in her wake. A groan escaped his throat when she did just that and his hand flew from her back into her hair when she began softly teasing his ear with her lips. She enjoyed listening to the sounds he made for her, the gasps and sighs inbetween low moans, and the way his hand tightened in her hair and on her thigh every so often.

"Tina, wait," he croaked and gently tried to pull her back from his neck. "Please, this is important."

She grudgingly stopped her teasing and waited for him to continue, but Newt needed a moment to come back to himself and cleared his throat before he said rather breathlessly, "Uhm. Since we agreed not to start a family right away... shou-should I cast a spell on myself for tonight or... what is the plan?"

Tina softly chuckled and shook her head. _This amazingly responsible man.._. "Thank you for volunteering but there's no need. I took a contraceptive potion this morning, so there's nothing to worry about for the next month."

Newt nodded against her. "Alright. I just... wanted to clear that up before I'm completely unable to think straight. You have quite a way to drive me mad, you wonderful witch."

"Then maybe you should distract me," she replied with a teasing grin and just a few seconds later Tina found herself flipped onto her back with a smirking Newt hovering over her.

"As you wish."

He sat back on his haunches, kneeling between her thighs and trailing his hands up her stockinged legs. With practiced movements her Newt unhooked them from the garters and slowly rolled them down her legs one by one to reveal more of her creamy skin and cover them in wet open-mouthed kisses instead.

Later he opened the fastenings of her girdle and took it off her as well, leaving Tina in nothing but a lacy white shift of satin. Her wedding night dress, as it had been dubbed by the dress maker.

Before he got occupied again Tina made sure Newt's shirt finally joined their clothing on the bedroom floor, then she lay back down again and let her husband go about distracting her... even though it was just another way for her to drive all thought from him.

He let his hands roam over her body, from the bare skin of her shoulder down to the curve of her hip and as far down her legs as he could reach in his position. He squeezed and stroked her naked thighs, her waist and caressed her breasts through the soft satin until she moaned out in pleasure, then lhe atched on to her neck again to kiss and lick and suck, but never leaving a single mark on her.

After enjoying Newt's tame ministrations for a while, Tina tipped him over onto his side and rolled on top of him, straddling his thighs as she kept him locked in a deep kiss that made shivers run up her spine.

And Newt took the chance to let his hands slide up her backside and underneath her shift, gently caressing and kneading her with his broad and calloused hands, before he sat up pulled the fabric up and off her body to slowly expose her to him.

"So beautiful," he murmured when she was entirely naked in his lap and leaned forward to place a kiss over where her heart was beating rapidly. Tina had no reply for that, at least none that would not make him throw even more flattery her way. So instead she smiled, then fumbled for a bit between them and managed to open his trousers and underwear, and after a bit of awkward shifting and shuffling they were both gloriously naked.

She kneeled across his thighs again, catching his lips with hers and exploring his naked skin with her eager hands. She felt his slightly raised scars and scratches underneath her fingertips that were by now as familiar as if they were her own. She caressed the back of his neck and the soft skin around his navel, both of which had a thoroughly pleasant effect on him.

Newt gasped against her lips when one of her hands brushed against his rigid member and enveloped his heated flesh to stroke it firmly, just the way he liked. There was nothing quite like the small bit of power she had over him like this. His head dipped forward to rest against her shoulder and a string of gasps and groans escaped his throat that vibrated against her heated skin. But as much as he did enjoy her ministrations, he carefully stopped her after just a few short minutes and moved her hand up to his waist instead.

"Not yet. Let me take care of you first," he explained in a throaty voice and shifted his head to capture her lips in an open-mouthed kiss, arms wrapping around her back to hold her and caress her.

He started to trail little butterfly kisses all over her face and down her jawn and chin then proceeded to continue with her neck. And what a delicious feeling that was, to have his mouth and lips there, latching on to her in a possessive manner and tasting every inch of her skin.

One of his hands had found its way to her breast again and fondled it expertly, eliciting soft groans from her with repeated brushes over and around the rosy buds. His mouth followed soon after and the sensation drove most coherent thought from her mind. _Mercy Lewis, this man has gotten so exceptionally good at this._

He kept his other arm firmly on her hip, stroking over her skin while effectively stopping her from getting too enthusiastic and grinding herself against him just yet.

"How do you want to be touched tonight, love?" he asked, kissing his way back up to her face before continuing his query. "Would you like to feel my hands? Would you like my mouth?" He gazed at her expectantly, waiting for the answer that would decide exactly what he'd do next.

"You know what I like the most," Tina replied shakily and he gave her that crooked mischievous smile. _Both... the answer is always both._

"Then I will give you just that." He kissed her lips one last time and then she was flat on her back with Newt hovering just above her. Tina couldn't help the moan that escaped her as he teased and sucked at her breasts and the already very sensitive nipples again. Then he slowly kissed further down her body, dipping his tongue into her navel and nipping at her slighly protruding hip bones, to the apex of her thighs and the nest of dark curls there.

He rested his head on her thigh and inhaled deeply the scent of her arousal before bringing his hand up to gently tease and stroke the skin of her inner thighs, drawing closer and closer until his fingers were right _there_ to make her gasp and sigh.

As he shifted to lie between her parted legs his eyes flicked up to her for a short moment and she noticed a certain glint in them. Newt had reached a point where he'd let his actions speak instead of words... and in this kind of situation that was never a bad thing.

His hand was joined by his mouth soon after, light kisses placed around her thighs and the outer lips followed by a broad tongue licking her from bottom to top in the most delicious and toe-curling way. Her hands fisted in the sheets underneath them when he repeated it once, then twice, and another time.

Both his arms wrapped around her thighs and held her firmly as he closed his lips around her little nub of joy and massaged it gently for a bit, then he dipped his tongue just barely inside her to sample her wetness directly from the source. And all the while she sighed and gasped unrestrained, sounds that soon turned into moans as he added nimble fingers to his ministrations again, sliding first one then two of them inside her to give her the attention she needed.

Newt touched her and tasted her, and in doing so gently opened her up for him, for what was to follow soon after this. Their union. Becoming one. He licked and sucked and caressed and filled her until with one particularly marvellous swirl of his tongue the building wave of pleasure inside crested and surged through her with a load moan to give it a voice and a name. _Newt._

He was still nestled between her legs and placing sweet little kisses on her hips and stomach when she came back to herself again. His ministrations just now had been wonderful, but they had done nothing to satiate her and instead fuelled her desires even more. It had happened before, but tonight she could actually have what she was craving for. Tonight they would get as close to one another as humanly possible, and she couldn't wait for that to happen.

"Newt. Come here, please," she demanded in a slightly hoarse voice and it only took a few short seconds for him to crawl up and over her body until they were face to face again. He caught her eyes with a smile and then her lips in a smoldering kiss and she could taste herself on him. Tina shifted again, trying to get more contact between them and failing since he was kneeling instead of holding himself up over her. But oh, she wanted to feel him so badly... on top of her, inside of her her.

His hand was cupping her face now and his eyes, black surrounded by green, mustered her with a bit of concern. "Tina, are you alright?" he whispered.

She exhaled heavily and nodded. "Yes, but I want... I want to feel you inside me, Newt. Please? Can we... can we do that?" And asking this she sounded just about as desperate as she felt.

Her Newt smiled and traced her cheek with his thumb. "Yes. We can do that, my love." He kissed her again, the shifted a little and suddenly his body covering her again. She could feel him skin on skin now and hummed in pleasure, wrapping her arms around his back to keep him just there.

He trailed soft kisses long her jaw for a little while until she couldn't help but move underneath him again, causing him to gasp and chuckle, then he gazed at her again.

"I'll try my best to make this good for you too," he said hesitantly. "Just... please tell me if I hurt you or you want to stop or..."

"I will. But please, I need to feel you..."

Newt nodded. "Okay."

He reached between them to take himself in hand, then Tina could feel the blunt head nudge against her entrance and she quivered in anticipation. She heard him gasp above her at the feeling of her heat and wetness against his most sensitive body part, his eyes closed and he took a few deep and measured breaths before opening them again. He looked at her once more and she answered the unspoken question in those eyes  with a soft smile and a nod. And then he pushed slowly into her.

Tina's eyes fell shut and she gasped softly at the feeling of his intrusion. But it was a good feeling, the way his solid flesh stretched her as he moved forward and deeper into her. Newt was shaking with the effort not to follow his instinct and sheathe himself inside her in one strong push and she was very grateful for it. There was no pain this time around and she only felt gloriously filled when his hips were finally flush with hers.

Newt was panting softly into her shoulder, trying to regain some semblance of self-control before he could move again, getting used to the feeling of her around him just as she was getting used to have him inside her. Neither of them moved, just revelling in the sensation of being this connected.

"Oh, Merlin's beard...," he sighed into her skin once his shaking had receded a little, "you feel so incredibly good, Tina."

She nodded against him. "So do you," she whispered in return. "So good, so... perfect." She brought a hand to the back of his neck. "Love me, Newt."

He lifted his head from where he'd rested it in the crook of her neck and looked at her with eyes wide in wonder and swirling full of emotion.

"Love me," she repeated with a shaky smile and her husband nodded slowly in compliance.

He took a steadying breath and shifted, pulled out just a little, then slid back into her again with a soft gasp.

He moved again, this time a bit further and Tina sighed at the exquisit friction this caused in her. Then again. And again. Each time a little more confident.

Tina lifted one her legs and curled it around his waist and the change of angle made both of them moan in unison. She could feel him slide in even deeper on his next thrust and that made it so much more delicious than before.

Soon they had found a rhythm and pace that was gratifying to both of them, his firm flesh surrounded by her hot and yielding wetness. They were filling the air around them with soft cries and gasps and the sounds of two bodies moving together. Tina buried her hand in his hair as Newt bent down to kiss her again, swallowing her tones of enjoyment and taking them into himself.

Sighs turned into soft moans and gasps into deep groans as his head dropped down to mouth at her neck and shoulders and breasts. With every push of his hips she felt herself climb higher and closer to oblivion, clutching at his back to keep grounded. She could sense the puffs of his hard breath on her sweaty skin as his pace picked up and their movements grew more needy and demanding.

"Tina, please... I need you to let go for me," he urged her suddenly, desperation audible in his tone of voice. "I-I can't hold out for much longer."

He worked a hand between them to help her, rubbing and teasing her sensitive clit in time with his motions. And between all those exquisit sensations he caused her now it didn't take long to reach that next peak and tumble over the edge for a second time...

With one exceptionally good thrust he brushed against that oh so tantalising spot they'd just discovered deep inside her and suddenly everything tensed and coiled and then released into white-hot pleasure with the next press of his finger.

It burned through her like a roaring fire, beginning deep inside her belly and spreading through every nerve and vein in her body out to her fingers and toes... it was pure bliss that shook her to the core and when she regained her senses, there were still tremors and twitches of aftershock going through her.

She felt more than heard Newt gasp her name in response to those tremors and then he changed his pace, driving into her harder and faster than before now in chase of his own release. He clutched at her hip to ground himself as his new rhythm staggered again, then faltered and with one last push he buried himself deep inside her. A deep groan ripped from his throat as she felt him pulse and he was spilling himself into her, his body tensing and shuddering while the pleasure swept through him as well.

And then Newt collapsed on top of her, completely spent and unable to support his own weight any longer.

 

* * *

 

It took quite a while for Newt to come back to himself after that... experience. Tina was still clinging to him with her arms wrapped around his back and holding him close, but her leg had fallen from around his hips now and his softened flesh had slipped out of her, too. He hadn't even noticed that happening in his strange state of disorientation.

But now he noticed that he was still very much lying heavily on top of her.

"So sorry," he mumbled and moved to roll off her and onto his back so she could breathe freely again.

Tina chuckled and only let him go reluctantly. "There you are. Welcome back," she grinned at him and shifted to get comfortable now without his body crushing her. Her hand found his again and held on.

'Welcome back'? How long had he been out for? "Please tell me I didn't fall asleep on top of you," he uttered in a low voice.

"You didn't, but you were quite out of it for a bit."

Yes, he had noticed that and honestly he still was... though maybe not as severely as before.

"Are you alright?" he felt the need to ask. Between loosing his self-control towards the end there, pounding into her in a none too gentle way, and then crushing her with his weight afterwards he just... had to make sure.

"You didn't hurt me, darling. I'm fine," she answered sincerely, and Newt was very glad to hear that. Then she chuckled and continued, "Uncomfortable sticky maybe, but otherwise fine."

Well, that was something he could actually help with. He sluggishly rolled onto his side again, then let his hand hover over her to clean her up with a spell or two. Himself and the sheets underneath them as well.

"Thank you," she sighed and cuddled a little closer to him.

"I don't even know where our wands are right now," he murmured in explanation and moved even closer to her. "Somewhere in a heap of clothing on the ground, I guess... too far away at least."

Tina chuckled. "You don't have to explain yourself every time you use magic without a wand, darling."

He shook his head slowly. "It feels too much like showing off otherwise."

"When you do show off it's not with your impressive magical skills, Newt, but your magical creatures," she replied and Newt chuckled. That... did sound about right. There was that one instance with Jacob and the Swooping Evil that really could only be called 'showing off'.

She drew a teasing hand over the planes of his chest now and he smiled when he saw the golden band sitting on her ring finger. They were actually married now. Husband and wife.

"You don't like too much attention so you do never show off about yourself, you show off with those around you," she continued with a smile.

"It's a good thing then, we're married already and I don't have to impress you any longer... since there's no one else here to show off right now."

Her hand had wandered up to his neck and she pulled him a little closer for a kiss, soft and sweet now in the aftermath of their love-making.

"There's other things you can impress me with when we're alone," she teased and Newt felt himself blush again.

"Do you really want to... again?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Part of him kind of hoped she wouldn't. He did feel rather sleepy if he was being honest, and it would be another half hour or so until he himself would be 'up' for anything along those lines again, if they were lucky.

She shook her head, though. "No, not yet. I'd much rather just be close to you if you don't mind."

He caught her wandering hand in his and threaded their fingers together. "Of course I don't mind, love."

She smiled and sneaked her other arm around his shoulders to pull him closer the way he often did with her when their positions were reversed. And just like she would then do, he put his head onto her shoulder and snuggled close, placing their intertwined hands over her stomach and tangling their legs together.

"I see why you like this position so much," she chuckled and traced a few freckles on his back.

"Hm... so do I. This is quite comfortable." He felt his eyes grow heavy with her soothing caress and the knowledge of having her close. "I might fall asleep, though," he warned her and tried to clear his head from the fog by blinking his eyes extensively. It didn't work much.

She hummed softly and carded her hands through his hair. "Go ahead, darling. I'm actually surprised you haven't already after that... even I feel drained."

"No, I can't fall asleep early on our wedding night, " he mumbled.

"It must be way past midnight by now, so scratch the 'early'." She added in a soft but teasing voice, "And I'm sure it's still nighttime somewhere when we're both awake again, so we can continue then."

Newt hummed in approval of her suggestion and felt a blanket being drawn over him. Just when had his eyes fallen shut?

"Good night, my husband," Tina whispered and kissed his forehead before she settled in more comfortably with him in her arms.

"Good night, my wife," he murmured, hoping the added 'Feel free to wake me whenever you like' did actually make it out of his throat in an audible way.

 

* * *

 

She did in fact wake him up again some time in the early hours of the morning, and in a very wonderful way too, to participate in another romp between the sheets. And it was just as much of a delectable and profoundly consuming experience as the first time around.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just leave that here, yes?  
> As always, comments give me life and are therefore very much appreciated!
> 
> Edit: For additional wedding night smut check out [Chapter 5](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23268015) of "Making an Effort". It's got a bit of Tina's wedding day jitters too.


	35. Of Homes and Honeymoons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one of married life and the start of their honeymoon.

Tina awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside the windows. The sun was already high in the sky by the looks of it and with a lazy smile she turned over to cuddle up with her husband again... only to find an empty space next to her in the bed. The sheets underneath her fingertips were still a little warm from his body heat though, so she knew that Newt hadn't been gone for long yet.

She stretched out underneath the light blanket and revelled in the feeling of soft sheets against her skin and a delicious soreness in her body from their previous activities. They had made love not just that once last night, but again in the early hours of the morning before dawn... and when they had both woken up from their slumber some hours later when the sun had barely risen over the horizon.

A happy giggle escaped her throat, bubbling up from somewhere deep inside and spilling out into the air, at the realisation that she was indeed Newt Scamander's wife now. It still seemed a little unreal in the bright light of day, but there it was: the slim golden band he had put on her at the start of their binding ceremony yesterday. _Porpentina Scamander._

Tina realised that Newt wasn't coming back to bed when she heard some noises drifting up from downstairs, cabinets being opened and closed judging by the sounds of it. The door to the bedroom was cracked open a little and she decided to go and investigate what he was up to instead of waiting around for him to return.

She left the comfortable confines of their bed and found her favourite dressing gown sitting right on top inside the suitcase Queenie had packed for her. She wrapped it around herself and proceeded to the other side of the room to extract her wand from where she had left it last night: the hidden pocket in her wedding gown. There were still some pieces of their clothing strewn about the room and Tina took a short minute to gather and deposit them onto the chair in the corner. She did like things to be neat, aner the bedroom was no exception to that.

Then she went out into the hallway on the upper floor of the cottage. _Their_ cottage, she had to correct herself with a smile. That really had been a tremendous surprise from Newt, entirely unexpected and... almost too much if she was being honest. The time and work he had put into this... not to mention the money to buy it in the first place. She'd have to make sure Newt wouldn't slowly turn her into a kept woman if this continued... was there even such a thing as a kept woman with a job?

Tina shook her head at the thought and went into the bathroom first to freshened up a little. She eyed the bathtub for a moment but decided against it for now. There would be time for a bath later... and maybe even a shared one if Newt was amenable.

When she returned into the hallway the smell of something cooking had wafted up the stairs. So Newt was making them breakfast. She grinned. With the mystery solved she took time to finish her short tour upstairs but found the other two doors leading into smaller and so far empty rooms. _Nurseries_ , was the first thing that came into her mind and she smiled softly.

Had Newt been planning the cottage with their future in mind or was this just the layout the cottage had come in? The bathroom was certainly a new addition, so it was possible that more rooms had been restructured up here. They did have a discussion on that topic not too long ago, so she knew that Newt would like to have children at some point. As did she, but not yet with all the recent immense changes in her life. She needed to find a new equilibrium first before that could happen... So the question of how many and when had been deliberately left open. _Maybe two, then?_

With that thought still in mind Tina climbed down the stairs and came into the small entry hall. There was an open door to her left and from there now also came the enticing smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of something sizzling in a pan.

She crossed the space in a few steps and stayed put in the doorway, watching her husband. Newt was dressed in just a pair of pyjama bottoms he must have had stored here before and hummed to himself as he worked at the stove, flicking his wand here and there to prepare breakfast. His torso was still bare and she could admire the strong line of his back from where she stood. She felt her face heat up in a blush when she noticed that among the freckles and silvery lines on his back there were some new red marks that looked a lot like her nails left them.

She cleared her throat silently, a little embarrassed, and chose to take a look around the kitchen instead. In front of the window to her right there sat a table with four chairs. The wall opposite her held all kinds of kitchen appliances, a sink, an oven and stove and a long countertop with many cupboards underneath for storage of more kitchen supplies. At the far end of the room another door led into what she assumed to be a pantry. And then there was the fireplace, which with it's size was obviously to be used for transportation via Floo Network.

Newt had turned around for something or other and spotted her standing in the doorway.

"Good morning," he greeted her with a soft smile that managed to light up his entire face even more. "Although, it's closer to noon than morning by now."

"Good morning," she chuckled and joined him at the stove to greet him with a kiss. "It would have been so much better if I had woken up next to you, though," she spoke with teasing grin and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. His coppery locks were even more tangled than usual in true bed head fashion.

Newt chuckled and blushed a little. "You woke up next to me twice already, my love... I thought this time we should be using it to actually get some sustenance." He took the pan with frying eggs from the stove before he continued. "I had planned for a breakfast in bed, but now that you're down here already how about you go and sit down at the table? Breakfast is almost done."

Tina grinned and pecked his lips again before he returned to his cooking, then she sat down at the table where a cup of fresh hot coffee sank down in front of her. Newt's tea and cutlery followed and soon after he sat a plate of fried eggs, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes and buttered toast before her. She noticed his own plate with a smile. Newt was not much for eating any kind of meat, only doing so out of politeness when someone else had cooked and served it to him. He'd prepared the sausages for her alone.

"Enjoy," he grinned at her and tucked into his breakfast with gusto.

"Thank you," she chuckled and started eating as well, feeling quite hungry herself all of a sudden.

 

* * *

 

After an overdue breakfast he gave Tina the official tour around the house as promised last night and she really seemed to like the place, unfinished as it was right now. The living room he showed her was essentially empty, as were the two spare rooms upstairs. But she had started calling the cottage 'home' already, which eased that lingering anxious feeling in him immensely.

They inevitably ended up in the bedroom again and spent a long while lost to each other before taking a bath together.

Newt let water flow into the bath tub and heated it to just the perfect temperature, then he climbed in and let Tina settle in in front of him. It took a bit of logistics to fit both of them into the tub comfortably, but then she leaned back against his chest with a content sigh as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I think this will be a wonderful honeymoon," she said with a smile after soaking in silence for a while. "Does anyone but my sister know where we are?" Her fingers played gently over his linked hands and arms now, connecting his scars and freckles in abstract patterns.

Newt shook his head with an amused smile. "Jacob does, but... this is not where we'll spend the next ten days, you know?"

"It isn't?"

He chuckled. "No, we'll leave again later tonight."

"Oh..." She sounded a little disappointed to hear that and her fingers had stopped their tracing and trailing. This was not at all the reaction he had hoped for, to be honest.

He tentatively continued in some sort of explanation. "We'll go somewhere else for our honeymoon, I uhm... I just wanted us to spend our wedding night at a place of our own, you see." He hesitated again before admitting to the last part of it. "And... make love to you for the first time in our own bed, too."

At hearing this Tina squeezed his hand where it still rested under the water on her stomach and smiled softly at him. "In our marriage bed, you mean."

"Yes, in our marriage bed. That... was rather the point of waiting with that particular act, wasn't it?" He bent a little forward and dropped a kiss to her shoulder before continuing in a softer voice. "And I think it was worth the wait..."

She nodded against him. "It was. But I'm gonna have to admit: if I hadn't been so busy with studying all these past weeks and had more time for... other things, I might not have been so patient in waiting." She paused for a second and then giggled in emberrassment. "Mercy, that just made me sound a bit nymphomaniac."

A amused laugh escaped him and Newt wrapped his arms tighter around her. "If so, you are my nymphomaniac now." Then he added in a much lower and deeper voice, "And I think I'd be happy to oblige you."

There was a short laugh from her before she moved to grab the sponge on the little tray nearby and held it out to him with a smirk.

"Oblige me in this, darling? As much as I like where this is going, we should probably start the bathing if there's some place we have to go to still."

And of course he did. Who was he to say no to an invitation of running his hands (and a sponge) all over his lovely wife?

 

* * *

 

"So... where do you intend to take us later tonight?" Tina asked curiously after she had gotten dressed again.

Newt was a little behind with his own clothing, rather having spent the time watching Tina putting on her garter belt and stockings... which in a way was just as enticing as taking them off her again.

"Uhm, we are going to France," he told her as he put on his shirt. "There is a little house in Provence waiting for us."

"We're going to France?!" Tina turned around from her suitcase and gaped at him.

"Erm.. yes?"

Was that wrong? He'd actually thought it to be a good idea... from what he remembered it would be quite nice in southern France at this time of year, they might even catch a sight and scent of the first blooming lavender fields if they were lucky.

"I don't think I know enough French to actually talk to someone there," she said slowly.

Newt smirked. "Judging by the last 18 hours, I don't think that should be much of an issue..."

She chuckled at his statement, but still looked a little uncomfortable.

"What's the matter, love?" he asked when he saw her expression.

She didn't say anything for a moment, so New continued. "We will come back here, you know? I just didn't think it quite suitable to spend our honeymoon 'at home', especially with the unfinished condition it's still in. You deserve something better than that."

Tina snorted at that and shook her head. "Whatever did I do to deserve any of this, Newt?" she asked in a quiet voice. "You've given me so much already since I met you. Only yesterday it was the promise of a life by your side and on top of that a house to live it in. And today you're gonna take me to France for ten days of vacation, too. It's... way too much."

_Oh._ Where did that come from? It had been a long time since he'd seen the insecure side of his Tina, he had rather thought she wouldn't feel the need to be unsure around him anymore. Newt stepped over to her and took her face in his to place a loving kiss on her lips.

"It really isn't, you know." She started to protest again, but Newt shushed her with a finger to those soft lips before her words came out.

"Hear me out, please? I should probably tell you that I'm not just doing these things for you _._ You see, I'll only ever have one wedding with you, one honeymoon with you, and one life with you. And I want all of those things to be as lovely and memorable as possible, not just for you but for myself as well."

He paused for a moment to tuck a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "Provence is lovely this time of year and... well, I've dreamt for a long time about taking someone special there and make some new memories with them. This honeymoon thing is about as selfish as I can actually get, I think. So... would you indulge me in this?"

Tina sighed and bit her lower lip for a moment before nodding. "Yes, okay. I know you wouldn't do any of this if you didn't want to. It's just... lately I'm taking and taking and taking from you, with the wedding and having us stay at the Manor all this time, getting all of us out of that tricky situation in the first place... and now the cottage and a vacation. And I feel that I don't have anything I could give back to you. It's... bothering me."

Newt folded his arms around her and drew her close to him.

"You, my love, are _not_ a taker," he told her confidently. "And you do give back, in ways you don't even seem to see. You know, if it hadn't been for you I'm quite sure my book still wouldn't be finished for one. You gave me more than just the motivation to finalize that bloody first manuscript."

Tina did not answer that with a small chuckle as Newt had hoped. So he continued a little more seriously to make her understand.

"You've also given me a home, Tina. Not just a place to stay, but somewhere I feel I belong. It's a place full of your love and laughter and friendship and care and... it seems you have no idea how much that really means to me."

That made her look up at him again and Newt smiled at her affectionately.

"For so long that was something I only ever dreamed of while I was travelling and living in my suitcase, uhm... drifting really. And it was a nice dream to have, finding some unknown place to return home to. Then I came to New York in '26, and after barely a week of knowing you that place I wanted to return to had morphed into a certain flat in New York City, to see a certain face."

"Which you did return to," she breathed.

"Which I did return to many months later, yes. And I've felt more steady and grounded after that than probably ever before... I didn't even know I needed this until I had it. So you see, I may have provided a house for us to live in, but only you being there will make it a home to me. A place I belong and want to return to, whether I'm at my desk at the Ministry or somewhere out in the fields. That is what you give, each and every day."

Tina hiccuped, causing the growing wetness in her eyes to spill over into a tear. Newt kissed it away.

"You're not trying to make a kept woman out of me, are you? Because 'making it a home to you' kinda sounds like that."

"Merlin, no! That's about the last thing I want to do, Tina."

Where on earth had that come from? Newt loved her as the independent and strong woman she was. At the moment he simply did all that she would let him do to help her get back on her feet.

Tina finally chuckled, wiping at her eyes to dry them, and Newt felt a little more eased hearing the little sound of laughter she gave.

"For someone who's more a man of action instead of speach, you really can be good with words," she told him. Newt couldn't help a grin.

"I do what I can... and it turns out some actions do need explanation, as well. I don't want you to feel unequal in this, okay? Just as before you are my career girl, I'm your... wayward Magizoologist, was it?"

"Wayfarer actually," Tina replied with a giggle. "But the other would work too, I think."

Newt nodded, happy to have gotten another giggle out of her. "Well, we're still all that we were back in New York."

With the extra benefit of no one raising their eyebrows at the two of them living together, he added in his mind.

 

* * *

 

By the time they were ready to go it was early evening already. Quite a bit later than Newt had actually planned. Since their fireplace was not yet connected to the Floo Network he disapparated them.

"Why are we back at the Manor?" Tina wondered when she saw where they were. It was the same spot they'd arrived at the first time he'd brought them here.

"Because we need to make a quick stopover to collect the portkey for France and get my suitcase. I don't think neither Jacob nor my beasts would appreciate it if I left them behind for all of ten days. Can you imagine the hefty rant Pickett would give me?"

Tina laughed loudly at that and Newt revelled in the sound of it. He'd needed to hear something like that after her bout of insecurity this afternoon.

"Come on, we're _so_ late already," he grinned and clutched her hand to lead them up to the front door of the Manor.

But as it turned out, no one had expected them to be on time anyway... Lateness apparently was a common occurrence among newly-wed couples and Newt only slightly coloured at the implications of his mother's statement.

He got his suitcase, which had been in the care of Jacob and Queenie for the past day, while Tina made sure she had anything she needed for the ten days they'd spent at the family's house in France. There were a lot of hushed whispers and giggling between her and Queenie and Newt didn't even want to find out what all that was about...

Then they said their goodbyes again and he activated the portkey, a slim chipped lavender-coloured flower vase, which ripped them from the entrance hall of Scamander Manor and brought them to the back garden of a house in southern France.

Newt hadn't been here for a while but the sight of the familiar whitewashed stone walls and light blue shuttered windows brought back a few pleasant memories, mostly from childhood. And he had ten days here with Tina now to add quite a few more to that small collection.

Tina needed a moment to get her bearing's again, travel by portkey always left her a little disoriented he knew, but it would pass again quickly.

"Glad to see you didn't bring me another Manor," Tina commented happily when she saw the house in front of them. No, it was definitely _not_ a Manor but barely larger than their cottage, which is exactly why he thought it was a good idea to come here for a bit. He took her suitcase from where she'd dropped it and then made for the small door to the side that led directly into the kitchen. Tina followed him inside.

First they opened all the shuttered windows to let light and fresh air inside the house. Tina turned to look at him with a questioning gaze when she noticed the small amount of pictures dotted about the living room. There were quite a few of himself and his brother in younger years among them. "Uhm, just how many houses does your family actually have, Newt?"

"Our family," he corrected her immediately – after all she was a Scamander as well now – which made Tina chuckle. "And three in total," he admitted. "There's the Manor of course, this one here and the townhouse in London where Theseus and Arabella live." He took a deep breath of the fresh herb-scented air from the garden. "I think there were others too, but they have been sold off before I was even born."

He felt a little embarrassed talking about these things. But Tina had asked, so he would give her an answer and a neccessary explanation for the apparent riches of his family.

"It's because... well, we're literally the last Scamanders left and previous generations had this habit of just bequeathing their possessions to the Family Estate when they had no children of their own. There seemed to have been a lot of those over the years. That Estate is under management of my father now."

It was a rather complicated business to handle and explain and he was more than glad that all of that fun would pass him by, not being the first-born.

"And all of this will pass to Theseus at some point?"

"Yes. The Scamander Family Estate at least, it generally goes to the eldest child, preferably a son."

Tina nodded, then asked another tentative question. "And... what happens when your brother passes without children?"

"Something I'd rather not think about," he answered with a sigh. "Which is why I'm very much hoping for small a miracle for them."

She put an arm around his back, leaning against his shoulder. She chuckled in emberrassment. "Sorry for bringing that up... and at the start of our honeymoon of all things!"

"No no, it's okay," he told her, because it was. "It's family matters and you are part of the family now. There's bound to be questions, so don't hesitate to ask when you want to know something." Hopefully she'd be too busy or distracted for the remainder of their time here to come up with any, though.

He smirked at her. "What do you say, let's get back inside and settle in properly?"

Tina was very much agreeable.

 

* * *

 

They spent the first week of their honeymoon in southern France, then decided to go and visit Paris for a few days while they were in the country. Sadly, that had been anything but a pleasant trip.

Somehow they'd managed to be in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time and run right into one of Grindelwald's operations again, barely managing to get out of the city in one piece.

From an Auror's point of view they had been in exactly the right place at the right time of course, shutting down Grindelwald's plans to expose wizardkind for a second time in as many years. But they really could have done without that kind of almost deadly excitement...

Needless to say, they'd returned home as soon as the French authorities let them and spent the last days of Tina's vacation in the comfort of their new home in Dorset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this started out all cute and cuddly and then I realised: It's 1928. They'll have to go to Paris, don't they? It's where and when at least part of FBAWFT 2 will be set. Therefore: honeymoon in France.  
> At least they had a pleasant week in Provence before Paris. To know more about that, go and have a look at [this new little sidework](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10052861/chapters/22399334), which will be detailing all the smutty honeymoon adventures of our newly-weds ;)  
>   
> Here's a little inspirational picture for the house in Provence:  
>   
>   
> I'm equally happy and sorry to say that we're close to the end now, dear readers! There will be one more chapter, followed by a shorter epilogue.  
> And then there's a few extended outtakes and additional scenes to come your way... Subscribe to my profile if you'd like to get notified whenever I post something new. And feel free to give me a prompt... I'd like to know what you you are interested to find out more about ;)


	36. To Love and to Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tina starts work at the Ministry of Magic. She gets a new assignment.

"Scamander!" Ogden called out for her. "In my office, please."

Tina had started work three days ago and was buried in files of the case she and her partner had been given to work this morning, but she rose from her new desk anyway and walked across the room into the small office of Bob Ogden, Head Auror.

"I have a new assignment for you," he told her once the door was closed behind her.

Still standing in front of his desk Tina squared her shoulders and nodded. "Okay. What kind of assignment, sir?"

He gestured for her to sit down before he continued.

"A security detail has been ordered from high up, Scamander. Someone who could possibly be on Grindelwald's vendetta list for thwarting his plans one too many times."

Tine frowned. "And do I assume correctly that you want me to be that security detail?"

That did sound like an important job... but why would they give that to the newest member of the Auror Office? There were quite a few more senior Aurors around who even had the experience in being an Auror escort, whereas Tina had none so far.

"Correct, Scamander. I'm afraid that in my squad you're the only one to have faced Grindelwald in a duel and came out of it alive. Twice now in fact. So if anyone's suited for this assignment it's you." 

Not that that explanation made her feel any better, even if she hadn't thought to look at it from that side... She still very much believed that Newt and herself had been incredibly lucky both times in facing that dark wizard. Skill had not exactly been part of it, but the primal instinct to survive.

"Who am I to protect, then?" she inquired. "I don't imagine there are many people who came out of a conflict situation with Grindelwald alive."

"No, there's only a handful of them," he agreed, then paused for a moment and leaned back in his chair. "Your assigment will be to protect Newt Scamander."

Tina stared at him in shock.

"He's after my husband?" she chocked out. "Where did that intelligence come from? When?"

"No, he's not exactly after him as far as we know. But let's face it... your husband has run across Grindelwald's schemes twice now and foiled them both times with your help. And neither of you can be in high esteem with him right now after what happened in Paris."

Tina calmed down a bit. So Newt wasn't in immediate danger? _Then why would they assign me to protect him?_ She spent a moment churning on a disturbing thought but did not dare to voice it openly yet.

"The order comes from high up, sir?" she inquired. Ogden nodded.

Right. From his perspective there were only two instances of 'high up': Minister Fawley himself or the Head of Department. Theseus. And it was very unlikely for Fawley to have ordered someone being protected from Grindelwald of all people. He didn't see the man or his followers as a threat, yet.

"Then I'd like to speak to the Head of Department, please."

Ogden nodded with a chuckle and got up from behind his desk. "Sure, he's already expecting us."

Her frown deepened, but Tina didn't say anything as they left the Auror Headquarters and took a right down the long and dark, busy corridor until they reached the office of one Theseus Scamander, Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Ogden knocked twice and entered without waiting for a reply.

"Here we are, Mr. Scamander," he announced them with a sheepish grin. "Just as predicted..."

"Ah." theseus Scamander nodded at both of them in greeting and closed some files on his desk before requesting them to take a seat.

"I take it he told you then," Theseus asked her directly.

"He did. And I have to ask: Is this a plot to get me out of the Office, Mr. Scamander? Assigning me as a personal security detail to my own husband?"

Theseus chuckled and shook his head. "It's not. There may have been grumbles about a woman on the active squad, but since the reports got in from France even Herford is looking at you differently. No one wants to get rid of you here, Mrs. Scamander."

"Then why am I assigned to basically keep your brother company? I do have a case to work, you know. Or am I not needed here after all?"

He looked over to Ogden with questioning glance, but her boss raised his hands in defence.

"Don't look at me, sir. She requested seeing you before I got to that point."

"What point?" Tina demanded to know. _There was more?_

Theseus cleared his throat. "Grindelwald hasn't dared to act on English soil yet, which means there's no urgent need for a protective unit while Newt is home... not that there would be much chance of him being found there anyway. Even I don't know yet where exactly you two have put up your tent."

Tina glowered at him. "And I don't think the Head of Department needs to know where his Aurors do actually live. Or do you make personal house calls to all of them?"

Theseus shook his head slowly. "The Head of Department doesn't need to know, but the worried family member wants to. And even though we're at work, I'll speak as your brother-in-law now, Tina."

She could have imagined it... but it seemed as if his face became just the smallest bit softer when he had usen her given name. They had finally agreed to stop calling each other by their last names outside of work, much to the happiness of her mother-in-law.

"Your assignment is to keep Newt company when he _leaves the country_ , Tina. As I said, he should be safe in England. Grindelwald hasn't made a move here yet... and it's unlikely he will try, not with his past ally Dumbledore openly opposing him like he does. He has the rest of the world to terrorize after all. But abroad it's a different story. I don't need to tell you that my brother has a penchant for running into the most dangerous situations by accident, you were there with him twice now."

Tina nodded. It was true, but still...

"So, I'll just leave everything behind and travel with Newt whenever he decides it's time to go off again?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, it's not that easy, but basically yes. Any plans to go abroad would have to be submitted a few weeks beforehand though, so you will be free from any other duties at that time.

"He'd have to request permission to leave th country, you mean. He won't like that very much..."

"No, he'd have to request permission to take his assigned Auror escort with him. No one would actually hinder him if he decides to go off alone instead... but that wouldn't be very advisable, would it?"

Tina didn't know what to think of his words. On the one hand she was happy to be given that opportunity of travelling with Newt and still having a job when they returned... but then again it would probably not go over very well with her fellow Aurors when she disappeared for weeks at a time and left the important work to rest on their shoulders.

"Bob, would you leave us for a moment?" Theseus asked the man next to her.

Ogden nodded. "Right, I'll be back in my office... I expect you back there when you're done here, Mrs. Scamander."

She nodded and they both watched the Head Auror get up and retreat from the office.

"What is this supposed to be, Theseus?" she asked him once the door had clicked shut behind him.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"It's killing two birds with one stone, to be honest. Newt really should have an Auror escort when he's on the road, he may be a skilled duellist but that only goes so far. We would all feel more comfortable when there's someone with him watching his back."

That was something she had to agree with, to be honest, so she nodded.

"And bird number two?"

Theseus smiled softly. "That's more of a favour to both of you, actually. Newt let slip the night before your wedding that it would always cause him a bit of guilt when he's leaving you behind to go out and study new creatures. And your sister may have mentioned that you'd like to do some travelling with him but never had an opportunity to do so... So this assignment seemed like a perfect solution for all of that. Is it not?"

Tina thought for a moment. It really was a perfect solution in a personal way, but professionally this might put her straight out onto the sidelines.

"What about my job here?" she inquired. "I don't think I'd become part of the team when I repeatedly leave for weeks at a time... and with my own husband of all people. That's gonna raise some eyebrows around here, no matter what my reputation might be after Paris."

Theseus crossed his arms behind his head and chuckled..

"I don't think Newt is planning to go anywhere for the next few months, Tina. He's currently engaged with revising his book as I understand. His field trips do need some kind of preparation research work, too. And you've just had one literal hell of a honeymoon that would put anyone off travelling for a bit. So there's time to become part of the team for you... to get better acquainted with everyone. And your new assignment on't become public until it's actually neccessary."

Tina couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation she found herself in.

"Day three at the British Auror Offices and already I'm getting favours from my Head of Department brother-in-law. That's not how I pictured my start here, Theseus."

"Don't see it as a favour from me, Tina," he told her, "see it as a favour _to_ me, and to the family. And to Newt! Could you imagine if he were to get an Auror escort that was _not_ you?" He paused for a short moment. "I should add that he may have a permit for his suitcase, but certainly not for whatever he is hiding inside. Have you ever wondered why he's always using Muggle transportation and their customs lines when he's going to another country?"

She didn't need to wonder about that, he had told her. "To put it in his words: 'Muggles are so much easier to fool'," she said with a chuckle.

She knew that her husband was doing quite a few illegal things on his journeys... but unlike your common criminal he didn't do it for his own gain or to harm others. He broke all manners of laws for the good of his creatures. That would certainly _not_ go over well with any other Auror she knew.

"So, you'll take the assignment, then?" Theseus inquired one last time.

Tina nodded after a short pause. Yes, she would go accompany and protect Newt on his upcoming travels. From aggressive locals, from volatile beasts, from Grindelwald and his crazy suporters... and from himself if neccessary.

"Alright, good. Would you like to inform him of his luck yourself, or should I ask him to come here and make an official production of it? I think he might actually be at his desk today..."

Tina looked at him in horror.

"Mercy, no!" He'd probably have an initial reaction similar to hers... only he wouldn't shy from making that known to the entire Basement Level 2. "I'll tell him when I get back home tonight."

Theseus nodded. "As you wish... I'll have the papers sent over to your desk. Have a good day then, Auror Scamander."

 

* * *

 

Tina returned home that night to find Newt preparing dinner in the kitchen. It smelled heavenly once the small puff of smoke and soot from Flooing in had vanished.

"Good evening, Auror Scamander," he greeted her with that crooked grin of his, which earned him a playful slap to the shoulder when she stepped closer to him. She was called by that name all day at work, here at home she'd really just like to be his Tina. And he knew it.

"Sorry. Hello, love," he greeted her for a second time and pulled her in for a short and sweet kiss. Yes, that was a decidedly better way to welcome her home.

"Hey," she replied happily and nuzzled against him as he took her hat off. "I missed you."

Newt hummed in agreement. "I did, too." He moved one of his hands from her waist to do something or other with whatever was cooking on the stove before announcing with a smile, "Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you go and sit down and tell me about your day?"

She chuckled. He was always such a caretaker, returning home early to cook her a meal even though he himself had spent at least part of the day working at his desk in the Beast Division, in addition to his usual rounds with his beasts in the case of course. But she went to their kitchen table anyway and sat down as instructed, watching her husband move about their kitchen with praticed ease.

"I think you might have spoilt me in the past months, you know that?" she said. "Always being around since we've arrived in England... and now I have to go an entire workday without seeing you."

He chuckled at hearing her complaint. "I would have come by for a lunch break, but you asked me not to."

"I know... I wanted to use that time to get to know some of my new colleagues but that didn't exactly work out today. Got to spent lots of time with Derwent in some bog or other instead. We've been given a new case, and got some lead to be investigated around noon."

Quinton Derwent was a senior Auror who had been assigned as her partner on the first day and he seemed to be one of the few seniors around that had no trouble doing field work with a woman. Thankfully. Someone with a mindset like Herford as a partner would have been... a lot less pleasant to endure.

"Jumping right back into the exciting part of Auror life, then," he teased her with a grin as he put their plates down and joined her.

"Oh yes, we got to jinx Hinkypunks. No luck with the lead, though."

 

* * *

 

"So, uhm... there's been a new addition to my suitcase today," Newt announced tentatively as they finished cleaning up the kitchen together.

He wasn't sure how Tina would feel about him taking in another creature... this was actually the first time since he'd started courting her that he'd come across a beast in dire need. And this one really needed someone to look after it for a time, someone to coddle it up again after the cruel treatment it had been exposed to.

"A new rescue case?" she asked.

"Yes. I thought you might have heard of it, but probably not when you've been out jinxing Hinkypunks all afternoon. The Aurors uncovered some illicit trading den today, dealing mostly in regulated and non-tradeable materials... The Beast Division was called in to deal with the live creature they found there."

And Newt, being well versed with creatures and beasts of any kind even though he was officially working with the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, had been among them. What he'd found there was something he was not very likely to forget any time soon.

"Please don't tell me you got yourself a Dragon hatchling," Tina said, sounding equally amused and worried.

He chuckled and held up his hands in a pacifying manner.  "No no no, love.  I may officially work with Dragon Research but they wouldn't have let me keep a baby dragon in my suitcase. There's sensible rules about that kind of thing."

He was also more than sure the other creatures in his care would not exactly appreciate being in the company of a Dragon, no matter its size or age. He cleared his throat and continued a bit more somberly.

"It's an Erumpent, actually. We found him chained up in a dark and damp cellar, dangerously mal-nourished and too weak to stand on his own anymore. They used him as a source to harvest Exploding Fluid for potions. Your colleagues agreed to give him into my care since they couldn't put him into a sealed evidence bag like the rest of it, you see"

She looked shocked. "That's horrible! Will he be alright, Newt?" She shook her head in anger. " Why would they treat him like that? They should've... They should've at least made sure he'd get fed enough if the creature was of use to them... that was nothing but unneccessary cruelty."

Once more, Newt realised that his Tina was a very caring person, caring towards people and creatures alike, and he was relieved at her understanding reaction. If she'd been there for the bust, she probably would have insisted on him taking the poor beast in herself. A small smile made its way to his lips.

"Yes. It really was a miserable sight, but he'll be alright with time... I'm going to make sure he is healthy and able to look after himself before trying to release him back into the wild where he belongs. In the meantime he's going to stay with us, I already expanded the Savannah habitat for the addition."

Tina chuckled. "So... there's two massive beasts with horns of exploding fluid down there now?"

"Uhm... yes, but one of them is tame unless in heat and the other frankly too weak to even consider charging at anything right now."

She nodded, still worried about the creature. "Can I see him?"

"Of course."  They went into the small room in the back of the house he had claimed as his workroom. His case was stored here whenever he was home, as well as some of his research materials and other things he needed for his work. Tina had lovingly named this room his 'shed outside the suitcase', since the same kind orderly chaos from down there had unfurled in here too. He liked the name.

Newt opened his case and let her climb in first. The change inside the case was immediately visible to her as the Erumpent habitat had been moved up to near the little shed again and it was a little bigger than before. It held two beasts now, one grazing calmly in the far part of the Savannah, the other resting on his side near the waterhole at the entrance.

The beast was asleep now, resting without restraints or restrictions for once. He was only half the seize and weight than the Erumpent already in his care...

"I've fed and watered him thoroughly and did a quick check for further injuriesapart from the obviously visible ones when I got him. That's all I could do for today," Newt told her as she took a closer look at him. "He looked quite surprised to see so much open space when I brought him down here, that cellar room was barely big enough to fit him..."

"And they still chained him up?" she asked sharply, inspecting the multiple treated cuts and wounds around the beast's ankles where the chains had been.

"They still had him chained, yes." It was such an unneccessary cruelty...

"Mercy Lewis, what did those people do to you..." he heard her speak to the creature in a soft and soothing voice. "But you're safe now, don't worry. We're going to take care of you, too."

"She's been keeping her distance for now," he explained with a nod in the direction of the other Erumpent. "But she's probably just shy... it's been a while since she's been around her own kind, and a male at that."

"Won't she see him as an intruder on her territory? She's been alone in here for quite some time."

"No, I don't think so. Female Erumpents are not that territorial, and he's not exactly a threat in the condition he's in at the moment."

He really wasn't worried about that. It might actually do both of them good to have a companion... they had both been alone for too long. And didn't he know what that was like... His companion had certainly done _him_ good.

Tina took a few steps back and returned to him. "But we're still going to spend the night down here just in case, aren't we?"

Newt chuckled. His wife knew him too well... always had and always would, apparently. 

"Well, _I_ was... but if you'd like to join me I really wouldn't mind."

"I'll go set up the bed then," she replied with a smile and pressed a short kiss to his lips in passing as she went back into the shed.

Newt followed her with his gaze. It had been quite a while since they had spend a night down here... not since before they'd gotten married three weeks ago and moved into their own little cottage, away from other eyes and ears. The privacy of his suitcase had been replaced with the privacy of their bedroom... (and one very memorable time their kitchen, his mind added helpfully). A radiant smile forced its way onto his face, accompanied by a slight blush. Married life certainly was a pleasure.

 

* * *

 

"I forgot to tell you earlier, but I got a new assignment, today," Tina told him after they had finished the evenings rounds in his case and met back up at the Erumpent habitat.

Pickett had accompanied him while he went about work, Tina had been with the Demiguise who certainly had a more helpful attitude when it came to feeding and fostering.

"Oh? Anything you can tell me about?" he teased her with a chuckle.

Most of her assignments back in New York had been confidential... or at least Tina had never been very forthcoming with any information, understandably since the investigations were still ongoing at the time. But he had always asked about them anyway.

She chuckled and surprised him with her answer. "Actually, yes. I can tell you all about it... since _you_ are my new assignment."

"Sorry, I'm what?"

_I heard that wrong, didn't I?_ He couldn't possibly be an assignment for her...What had she been assigned to do with him? _For_ him? _About_ him? His confusion must have been more than evident on his face. Tina eased his heavy frown with a brush of her hand.

"I said, you've been assigned to me, Newt. I'm your Auror escort. After what happened New York and Paris Theseus thought it might be wise to give you a security detail... and that is supposed to be me."

So they'd put her on security duty... security for _him_? But that was absolutely not neccessary, and a complete waste of her talents as an Auror! How could she possibly rebuild her career if she was ordered to keep someone like him, a simple unimportant magizoologist, company all day round? Or was that the actual intention behind it?

_Oh..._ No, he would not have that!

"Absolutely not, Tina," he pressed out between clenched jaws and stomped back into the shed, determined to put this right.

She came after him. "Newt, wait. Where are you going?"

He stopped turned back to her halfway up the ladder.

"It's been _t_ _hree days!_ And they're already switching you to some unimportant and unneccessary duty. I'm going to have a serious word with my brother," he growled, but Tina stopped him from climbing further with hand around his ankle.

"Come back down here, Newt," she ordered him in an equally amused and serious tone of voice. Newt stayed where he was, though. He was not amused at all.

"I already had it out with Theseus this morning," she continued. "Him and Ogden, actually. It's not what you think it is."

He shook his head and looked at her defiantly.

"Really? So they're not trying to keep you from working in the Auror Office by assigning you to hang around your husband all day? Why else would they send one of their best Aurors to protect someone unimportant like me?"

"Newt, come down here, please. I'm not doing this with you halfway up a ladder!"

Her voice implied that she did not brook any opposition right now, so he went back down again and crossed his arms over his chest. "It makes absolutely no sense, Tina. What would I even need protecting from? My creatures are not dangerous!"

"Grindelwald," she told him frankly, and Newt was even more confused. Everyone needed protection from that madman and his fanatics, but no one else seemed to have been assigned an Auror escort so far. What made him so special?

"My assignment is to join and protect you when you leave the country to _travel_ , Newt. You did run straight into his operations twice now... both times out of England, both times in my company, both time completely unintended. And together we managed to make it out of those situations alive."

She put a soothing hand on his upper arm and caught his eyes. "I do actualy agree on this, you really should have someone to watch your back when you're going out there again. I'm gonna be on Auror duty at Headquarters like everyone else whenever we're home, but if you go and travel I'm coming with you. It's orders from high up."

"Orders from Theseus, you mean," he corrected her. Of course it was his meddling brother... who else had the authority to order a protective unit for _him_ of all people.

"Yes, from Theseus. Or do you think Fawley would see it neccessary to protect anyone from an 'unimportant mad person' like Grindelwald? Not bloody likely."

He failed to repress a smile at her choice of words... being surrounded by Brits all day seemed to start rubing off on her.

"But... why me?" he asked helplessly. "And why you? I don't get it."

"It's you, because you've exposed and hindered him twice now. That's more than reason enough to worry about being on his revenge list. And it's me, because honestly, any other Auror would probably be more likely to arrest than protect you once they've seen your methods of work."

He had to admit, Tina did have a point with that...

"Also, apparently i'm the only Auror in the Ministry's employ to have faced off with Grindelwald and survived it. If he turns out to have a personal vendetta against you, that would be a crucial advantage for your Auror escort, don't you think?"

Also true...

"So they chose you because you are a talented Auror and already have experience trying to keep me out of trouble?" he summeraized and finally uncrossed his arms to wrap them around her shoulders instead.

Tina chuckled and shook her head. "I couldn't keep you out of trouble even if I tried, Newt. But I sure know how to make the best of it by now."

She put both her arms around his waist in a light embrace and beamed at him. "And you do know what this means, darling. We can travel together. You won't have to leave me behind anymore, so there's nothing for you to feel guilty about."

"How do you-?" Newt groaned when the realisation hit. "He told you, didn't he?"

There was only one time when he had openly admited to actually feeling bad about leaving Tina behind in favour of his studies... the night before their wedding in the company of Jacob and his brother. And he'd been just the slightest bit under the influence while doing so.

"Yes, he did," Tina confirmed. "But I had an inkling, too... you were always so much more intent to see me happy before and after you'd head out. One might call it compensating."

Newt smiled. "That is true... but I always do want to see you happy, love. So, did he say anything else?"

"No." She glanced at him curiously though. "Are there other things to tell?"

He thought for a long moment. "I had two tumblers of whiskey that night before the wedding... I think I might have been very chatty by the end of it."

Tina laughed at his admission. She knew how much of a lightwight he was one when it came to alcohol and it's effect on him.

"Maybe I should go and talk to Jacob next time we're going to see them?"

Well. That would be only marginally better than talking to his brother. But at least Jacob had no embarrassing childhood stories about him to share while they were at it.

It would be time to change the subject now...

"So, my beautiful wife. What does this Auror escort business entail exactly? I never had one of those before..."

And he still didn't think it was actually neccessary. But who was he to say no to having Tina travel with him in an official capacity? It was like a dream come true, really.

She smirked. "Well, I'm gonna go with you whenever you leave the country. Any trips planned to last longer than three days have to be submitted a few weeks beforehand so my schedule is cleared when we leave. And I'm supposed to make sure you arrive back home in one piece and preferably unharmed."

Newt nodded. "Well, I didn't have any trips planned for now... I'm working on the second edition and I'll have to do some more research before I can actually go anywhere. Anything I did have in mind was planned for North America and sadly that is off limits at the moment."

He cursed himself inwardly for bringing the topic of their exile up again. But Tina didn't look affected by it. In hindsight she had taken to their new situation rather well... all three of them in fact. Even Jacob, who had found a willing successor for his New York bakery in his former assistant Henry, and was to start a new bakery  job soon.

"That's fine by me," she replied. "We'll work it out when you get antsy again." Then she gently pulled at him with a smirk. "How about we go to bed now, husband?"

That seemed like an excellent idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys, the last full-length chapter! I do hope it was not too disappointing :D  
> Next will follow a shorter epilogue, so stay tuned for the last content update of "A Most Magical Creature". 
> 
> For the smut lovers among my readers:   
> You might like to check out my newest 'outtake' ["A Lingering Desire"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22005575)... if you haven't found it already, that is ;)


	37. Epilogue: Most Unexpected News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorset, a little time later...

**Dorset, Spring 1933**

Newt had just brewed himself a cup of tea when his wife stepped out of the fireplace in their kitchen, accompanied by the loud whoosh of green flames and some soot.

"You're home early, love," he greeted her after a quick look at his watch. No, he hadn't lost track of the time again, it really was only past noon.

"Not by choice... " she grumbled as she took off her grey coat and hat, running her hand through the wavy chin-length hair.

Newt frowned. There were only two reasons why Tina would have been sent home from work: being sick or suspended... and she was too calm for the latter to have happened. His usual bout of worry set in. "Are you alright, Tina?"

"Sure," she answered and went straight to start preparing a cup of coffee for herself. "Why do you ask that, darling?"

"Because you've been exhausted. And I noticed that you haven't eaten all that much lately, not even the pastries Jacob made you last week... and now you've been sent home early from work."

She shook her head. "It's nothing, really. Work is wearing me down and I've just... felt a little queasy for the past week or so. That doesn't help much with the appetite, you know?"

Newt chided himself internally. Why hadn't he noticed that she'd felt unwell for the entire past week? He should have seen it, Tina was his wife for Merlin's sake! But she really didn't look ill... perfectly healthy in fact if it weren't for the reduced appetite and reported queasiness.

He hesitated. "Uhm... what exactly happened today that made Ogden sent you home?"

"I was sick during a briefing," she admitted with a sigh. "But it's not a bug or anything. I just couldn't stand the smell of Herford's new cologne from such close proximity. It smells really disgusting."

Newt pondered this for a moment. Fatigue, nausea without actual cause and an apparent strong reaction to smell. He calculated some numbers in his head and came to a startling conclusion... _Could it be?_

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I think you should go and see a Healer, love."

Tina chuckled. "I told you I'm fine, Newt. I was sick twice in as many weeks, and both times it occurred after that grumpy old wizard and his cloud of what he dubs a cologne came near me. So I'll take the two sick-days they forced on me, go back to work on Saturday and try to keep my distance from him. There's nothing wrong with me."

She had turned around to leave the kitchen now, cup of coffee in hand, but Newt only smiled at her stubborness. He wrapped her in his arms as she passed him to keep her with him for just a bit longer... he wasn't done talking yet.

"I don't think anything is _wrong_ with you, Tina," he spoke over her shoulder and placed a kiss to her covered shoulder. "But now with the nausea and sensitivity to certain smells... it makes me think. It's been what... eight weeks now since you bled last, hasn't it?"

Tina remained unmoving in his arms for a long moment before she nodded. Newt let both of his hands rest lightly over her stomach when he revealed his suspicion to her. "I think it's quite possible that... we may be expecting an addition to our little family, my love."

She turned to look at him with eyes wide in surprise. "But how-?"

Newt shook his head with a shy smile. "There was that lovely night early last month, in the heat of the moment neither of us cared all that much about casting a spell... Remember?"

Because he certainly did. It had been a very long and satisfying night somewhere in the Brazilian rainforest... with both of them too occupied with one another to notice the lack of contraception until the next morning. They had readily agreed to let nature run it's course though... since it turned out that a family was something they had both been thinking about for a while.

She nodded and bit her lower lip trying to hide a grin at the memory.

"And neither of us has taken any precautions since then," he explained further. "At least I haven't... since this is what we both wanted back then."

"We should probably go and see a Healer then," she said with a small smile and laced their hands together over her stomach. "Just to make sure..."

Newt grinned and nodded. _Should we really be so lucky?_

 

* * *

 

They visited Jacob and Queenie the next evening.

The two lovebirds had finally gotten married on a rainy day in August 1929 after Jacob had worked at and then had taken over a Muggle bakery in Godric's Hollow. The couple lived in a cozy flat over the bakery in a little house just off the village square and were doing comperatively well for themselves. The Great Depression was still in full swing, leaving most Muggles next to no money for anything but the absolutely neccessary... but Jacob had changed his offered goods from unique and exquisitly tasty to affordable for all and filling. He was still sold out on most days.

They used the Floo Network rather then Apparition this time and intruded directly into a screaming match between their three-year-old nephew and one of the wizarding neighbour's children.

Newt immediately went over to join them after making sure Tina was okay. Flooing didn't really help with the feeling of slight nausea, but for a pregnant witch it was a safer option of travel than Apparition.

"Alright, you two," Newt calmed the kids with a chuckle, "I think that's definitely a draw. You are both louder than a roaring dragon!"

"Uncle Newt!" little Samuel exclaimed in his adorable toddler-mumble and immediately wanted to be picked up by his favourite uncle.

"Hello Mr. Scamander," his playmate mumbled shyly. The boy was named Flavius, slightly older than Sam and the only other wizarding kid their age in Godric's Hollow.

"Hello Sammy, hello Flavius. And how are you today?" Newt asked them and while their nephew immediately started bubbling happily about his day the other boy kept silent and focussed on the stuffed toys they must have been playing with before trying to find out who could scream the loudest.

Meanwhile Pickett had escaped the confines of Newt's front pocket and crawled up into his slightly mussed hair again, as he always did when little Sam was around. He'd made the mistake once to get too close to a younger version of the curious toddler and had to endure being played with for all of thirty seconds before Newt came to his rescue.

Just then Queenie joined them with Flavius' mother trailing behind her.

"Oh, hello Mr. and Mrs. Scamander!" she said, surprised to see them here on a Friday evening and more than a little amused by seeing the Bowtruckle balancing on Newt's head. "Eh, thank you for looking after him, Queenie."

"No problem, Hilda. We're always happy to have Flavius around."

She collected her son and said goodbye to them before hurring out the door. It was then that Queenie turned to them with a huge smile on her face, clapping her hands in glee.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two! Sorry, but it's all over your thoughts... _In a guter sho_ , Teenie. May all go well!"

Tina knew that she would have jumped up and down too if she hadn't been eight months pregnant at the moment. Little Samuel would get a brother or sister before the summer.

"Thank you, Queenie," she said and moved forward to hug and kiss her sister in greeting. "It's still a little unreal... I'm gonna be a mother. Can you believe it?"

The blonde witch still beamed. "When did you find out?"

"Honestly... yesterday," she admitted. "It was Newt who managed to put all the facts together. Things that I thought were simply related to stress at work like being tired and feeling a little off in general. We've been to see a Healer to confirm the suspicions though." She looked back a her husband who was just picking up his grinning nephew before continuing. "And he was right... I'm pregnant. Mercy Lewis, that still feels weird to say."

Queenie giggled and moved to give her brother-in-law a hug, too. And a kiss to her son, who was now perched on Newt's hip and happily babbling away about his day so far. "Oh, this is fantastic! I didn't even know you guys were trying yet."

"Uhm, we didn't actually... try," Newt explained sheepishly as his cheeks colourd a slight pink. That adorable reaction to anything hinting at a more intimate topic hadn't changed much over the years and Tina still loved it.

"Well, it's safe to say then that you do not have your brother's problems," she said with a teasing smirk.

Of course Queenie knew all about that by now... not just for being a Legilimens but also a close friend to Arabella for the past five years.

"Yes, well... even he got lucky in the end," he muttered.

And Newt had been so very thrilled about those news. Theseus and Arabella had become parents to a lovely daughter about three years ago, some months after Queenie and Jacob had had Sam. Her name was Flora, Flora Elaine Scamander, and she would likely be very spoilt being the only and very long anticipated child of her parents. And she would look just as lovely as her mother it was said.

"Jacob is still downstairs I assume?" Newt asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, he's just closing up, shouldn't be long. But I'm sure he'd appreciate some help with it, honey." Queenie winked at him. Newt smiled in thanks and set the boy down again so he could go and chase after Queenie's very indulgent and cuddly Puffskein (an engagement present from the man himself) before moving towards the door leading outside.

Tina chuckled. Her husband probably needed a little pep talk from Jacob, experienced father to father-to-be... He'd been all smiles and happiness ever since the Healer at St. Mungo's told them that yes, they were indeed going to be parents. But there had to be few qualms, too... Tina certainly had them. The world was not at its most stable right now.

"Oh Teen, don't worry about the world at large when you're still comfortable in Dorset," Queenie interrupted her thoughts. "And you're going to be a great mother!"

She sighed. Of course she'd picked up on those thoughts too... they had been her constant companion since Newt took a guess at her medical condition the day before. "That obvious?"

"You're really easy to read for me, hon. And I know you... you always worry about not being good enough. I've been through that when you first became an Auror, and again excessively when Newt came back to court you, and when he took you to met his parents. Do I need to go on?"

"I know, I know..." She chuckled and smiled at her sister.

Queenie was right of course... she always worried too much. She'd raised lots of creatures with Newt by now, as well as her own sister many many years ago. And their living situation was not half as bad as it could have been. They had a roof over their heads and a garden that yielded wonderful crops of vegetables and fruits each year. The sale of Newt's book had understandably gone down since late in '29, but they both miraculously still worked their jobs at the Ministry and had managed to save enough to get by comfortably in these harder times. Not something most other people could claim these days.

"See, I told you. It's gonna be okay. And Newt is so thrilled to be a dad!" Queenie really couldn't hide her excitement today.

"I know, he's been giddy since yesterday. I don't think it has registered yet that our planned trip to America in summer definitely won't be happening now. That's the second time he's been kept from studying Sasquatches."

Queenie giggled. "Don't mind that, I'm sure he'd much rather wanna study the development of his child, Teen."

Tina couldn't help a groan. "Merlin, that's gonna be a whole new set of study notes, ain't it?"


	38. AMMC Timeline Masterlist

Since this story has unexpectedly turned something like an actual universe, here is a timeline containing each and every piece I have written so far for "A Most Magical Creature." This list will be updated whenever something new has been added to the universe.

Please note that most of the additions to the universe are... of the explicit, smutty variety. I know that some of my readers are not into that kind of content, so I added the content warning to each entry rated above T.

* * *

  * [Weaving My Wings](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874556/chapters/22150565)
  * AMMC [Chapter 1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20170054)
  * Making an Effort [Chapter 1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23070204)
  * AMMC [Chapter 2](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20213422) \- [Chapter 9](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20518438)
  * Making an Effort [Chapter 2](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23107878)
  * AMMC [Chapter 10](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20597518), [Chapter 11](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20647639)
  * Making An Effort [Chapter 3](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23123046)
  * AMMC [Chapter 12](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/20705839) \- [Chapter 26](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21422603) _(21 and 26 with explicit content)_
  * [A Study in Porpentines](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11044611)
  * A Lingering Desire [Chapter 1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22005575) _(explicit content)_
  * AMMC [Chapter 27](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21491306)
  * A Lingering Desire [Chapter 2](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22017602) _(explicit content)_
  * Making an Effort [Chapter 4](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23131314) _(explicit content)_
  * AMMC [Chapter 28](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21525728)
  * A Lingering Desire [Chapter 3](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22040108)  _(explicit content)_
  * [The Getaway Plan](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9694715)
  * AMMC [Chapter 29](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21572561)
  * A Lingering Desire [Chapter 4](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9799847/chapters/22878891) _(explicit content)_
  * AMMC [Chapter 30](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21656054) \- [Chapter 32](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21778883)
  * [Quite Fortunate](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9790352)
  * AMMC [Chapter 33](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21827900), [Chapter 34](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21883253) _(34 with explicit content)_
  * Making an Effort [Chapter 5](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23268015) _(explicit content)_
  * AMMC [Chapter 35](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/21953213)
  * [Plaisirs en Provence](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10052861/chapters/22399334) _(all the explicit content!)_
  * Making an Effort [Chapter 6](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10451001/chapters/23318222) _(explicit content)_
  * AMMC [Chapter 36](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/22011248), [Chapter 37](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8798086/chapters/22043936)
  * Sunday Snippet [Chapter 6 ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10770540/chapters/24704790)
  * [From His Lips Not Words Alone Pleased Her](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10954155) _(explicit content)_
  * The Adventure of a Lifetime [Chapter 1](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10911720/chapters/24262665)  - [Chapter 13](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911720/chapters/27556875) _(Ch. 5 with explicit content)_
  * [A Little Taste Of Heaven](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12305316/chapters/27973365)  _(explicit content)_
  * The Adventure of a Lifetime [Chapter 14](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911720/chapters/27716136) \- [Chapter 22](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10911720/chapters/29877072) _(Ch. 19 with explicit content)_



 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, commenting, subscribing and most of all sticking with me... It's been a crazy wild ride to do this!  
> But... I'm far from finished with Newtina and this small universe yet ;) 
> 
> If you are interested in updates on any new works I post you can either subscribe to my [AO3 profile](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensnwritingdesks/pseuds/ravensnwritingdesks) or follow my tumblr [@ravens-and-writings](https://ravens-and-writings.tumblr.com/).


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